


From Beginning to End

by comebaekhome



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22081729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comebaekhome/pseuds/comebaekhome
Summary: Broken hearted and too intoxicated for his own good, Park Chanyeol meets one Byun Baekhyun on New Year's Eve.The rest is history.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 32
Kudos: 155





	1. January

January 1st 2020

The first time they meet, it's with a kiss.

In the moments before, Chanyeol found himself staggering around his friend's apartment, the room spinning around him with every step he took. He was never one to hold his liquor well and with each drink that was pressed into his open hand, the harder he found walking straight.

It's as he heard the excited shouts of his friends in the next room over that 'it was almost time!', saw the excited couples linking hands in that moment that Chanyeol remembered why he had been drinking so much.

His heart thumped as he took another swig from his bottle, as one of his thoughts drifted to her.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, taking ungraceful steps into the main room where a small crowd had gathered around the T.V, excitedly counting down with whatever reporter in whatever city was on the screen.

His eyes scanned the room, vision blurring at the edges, as he leaned into the closest wall, just wishing it would eat him up.

"You seem down," he heard an unfamiliar voice say. It took the tall boy a few moments to register that it was being directed to him, slowly turning his head behind him and narrowing his eyes to see the person more clearly. "Something the matter?"

Chanyeol blinks a few times, mouth gaping as he felt his cheeks redden- though at this point, he’s not sure whether or not that was a result of the excess of alcohol in his system or the ridiculously cute boy in front of him. He looked at him with a slight tilt to his head, almond eyes twinkling like stars between slow blinks.

10

9

8

The boy before him smiles a bit, watching the giant stand in silent awe, letting out a soft chuckle that sounded like music to Chanyeol’s ears. The smaller boy’s eyes crinkled into crescents, and Chanyeol realizes he had never seen a smile so bright, so beautiful.

7

6

5

"You alright?" he asked, small smile on his face.

4

3

Chanyeol nodded.

2

1

It's with reckless abandon that Chanyeol leans his head down to capture the nameless boy's lips in a kiss. He feels the boy stiffen in his hold, only to relax when Chanyeol's hands found purchase on his hips, his own arms going around Chanyeol's neck. They stand in a comfortable embrace for a few moments before the nameless boy pulls away, lips slightly swollen.

Chanyeol can feel the boy’s heavy breaths on his lip, and the feeling drives him wild. He wants to lean back in, take the boy’s lips in another kiss, but the boy pulls away again, a finger placed delicately on the giant’s lip.

He smiled, looking over the giant’s face for a moment before putting his hand down and stepping back.

He said something, but for the life of him, Chanyeol couldn’t make out his words, the only sound in his ears being the racing of his own heart. The giant nods dumbly to the small boy who only smiles wider, stepping back, back, back until he’s out of sight.

And that’s the last thing Chanyeol can remember before he stumbles onto the couch, trying to blink the stars out of his eyes.

~~~~~

He awakens with a pounding headache. The light is streaming in through the unnecessarily large windows, causing the boy to wince, blocking out the light with his arm. He sits up from the floor, looking up at the couch he swore he fell asleep on, and tried to take in his surroundings. He almost wants to laugh at the sight of the number of people lying unconscious on the floor before he realizes that he was among them a few moments ago.

He sighs, holding onto the nearby coffee table, to slowly heaving himself up.

He treaded carefully around the bottles of beer haphazardly thrown around the room, taking careful steps until he’s in the kitchen. He heard a door being opened next to him, turning his head a bit too quickly and feeling a sharp pain in his temples as a result.

Jongdae scoffed as he left his room, meeting Chanyeol at the kitchen counter.

"You look like shit," Jongdae said bluntly, opening a cupboard to pull out a pair of mugs.

"I feel like shit," Chanyeol said, seating himself on one of the tall chairs, burying his head in his hands. "I don't know why you always organize these parties."

"Nothing brings a smile to my face like seeing my friends get blackout drunk," Jongdae responds with a shrug, putting a teabag into each of the cups. "There's a reason I never drink whenever I have guests over. I've found being sober gets me the best blackmail material."

"You're evil."

"At least I'm honest. So, how's the hangover?"

"Terrible," Chanyeol muttered.

"I told you it was a bad idea to drink your pain away. We both know you’re lightweight as hell, but I guess when you’ve made up your mind, you’ve made up your mind. How are you holding up?"

"Don't wanna talk about it."

Jongdae hummed as he turned his kettle on, watching as the water boiled inside. “I guess not much changed from last night huh?”

Chanyeol frowned.

“But then again, the last time I saw you conscious last night, you seemed pretty preoccupied,” Jongdae said, a smile evident in his voice though he was turned away from Chanyeol, busy preparing them tea. The giant blinked a few times, trying to recall what had happened the night before until a pit settles in his stomach.

“Shit.”

“Shit indeed, Park,” Jongdae said, presenting the giant with his tea as he took a small sip of his own. “Better get your shit sorted before he’s done getting ready.”

“He’s still here?”

“Obviously he’s still here, stupid. The party ended too late for taxis to run and no one’s driving home in that state.”

Chanyeol sat in a daze, unsure of what to do. Jongdae let out a chuckle.

“He’s in the bathroom brushing his teeth now. I suggest you do the same before you guys go out on your coffee date.”

“Our what now?”

“He told me all about it after you passed out. Told me something about some random crazy tall cute dude who kissed him. He asked you out for coffee in the morning when you weren’t wasted out of your mind, you made a few affirmative grunts, and then you passed out.”

“Fuck,“ Chanyeol muttered, rubbing his temples as his hungover brain started piecing things together.

“Did Jongdae do something?” a voice asked from behind, causing Chanyeol to turn his head so quickly, he almost convinced himself that he had gotten whiplash.

A boy stood in the doorframe of Jongdae’s room with a towel around his neck, blinking innocently at the pair. His hair was messier than it had been the night before, the small boy running delicate hands through the light brown locks, but his eyes still sparkled like they had the night before.

Jongdae laughed. “Why do you always assume it’s something I did?”

“Because it always tends to be you did,” the boy replied with a chuckle before turning to look at the seated boy. Chanyeol gulped. “I’m ready whenever you are, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol looked over at the boy blankly, partially racking his brain to remember the name that went to that face, partially wondering at what point he had even gotten a chance to give this boy his own before diving in for a kiss. 

“Baekhyun,” the boy supplied. “My name’s Baekhyun, in case you didn’t catch that last night.”

“I—“

“Though I don’t suppose we had time to formally introduce ourselves.”

“Um…”

“You know, since I only got a handful of words out before you kissed me.”

Chanyeol reddened, immediately looking down at his lap as the boy—Baekhyun—chuckled.

“Let the poor kid off easy, Baek. As if you haven’t drunkenly kissed your fair share of guys during high school.”

The boy ran his hand through his hair again, sporting a large smile. “You got me there, Dae. Want any coffee?” Baekhyun asks as he takes the towel off from around his neck, tossing it haphazardly at Jongdae who caught it with one hand.

“No thanks, I got my tea.”

“Alright, suit yourself.”

The small boy nodded the giant over, not even waiting for him to react before he was at the door, slipping his shoes on. Chanyeol gives Jongdae one last look in confusion, the latter only raising his brows.

“What are you waiting for Prince Charming? Your princess awaits.”

Chanyeol barely manages to catch up to the smaller boy at the elevator, slipping in at the last moment.

“Nice of you to join me. I was beginning to worry I’d be going on this coffee date alone. Wouldn’t have made for as interesting a trip.”

Chanyeol gulped, nervous at how bold the smaller was despite them not knowing each other.

“So—“

“I’m straight!” Chanyeol suddenly yelled, startling the smaller boy.

“Um… alright.”

“I—I just thought I should, uh… Get that out there first,” Chanyeol said, cheeks reddening as he rubbed the nape of his neck in embarrassment. “I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea after, uh… You know.”

The elevator doors opened and Baekhyun walked out with a soft nod, Chanyeol trailing after him like a lost puppy.

“Alright,” Baekhyun said, walking forward with long strides despite his shorter legs, “So what prompts Mr. Straight-man to kiss the first boy he sees at the party?” he asked with genuine curiosity.

Chanyeol stayed silent for a moment, unsure of how to answer, before stammering out a stiff “Cute.” 

“I’m sorry?”

“You were, uh… You were cute.”

The small boy’s eyes turn into crescents at that. “So you just kissed me because you thought I was cute?”

“Yes—I mean, no, but... You just started talking to me and you looked so pretty and my stupid brain was all like ‘wow you should really kiss him’ and then I did it and I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking straight, and I—“

“Slow down, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun said with a chuckle. “It’s okay, you’re not in trouble or anything.”

The giant sighed. “I’m sorry. Can we just… start over? I promise I’m less bad when I’m thinking straight enough to introduce myself properly.”

Baekhyun smiled good-naturedly. “Go for it.” 

“Well, uh… I’m Park Chanyeol. I’m a Photography student in my third year.”

The small boy raised his brows. “Photography student, huh? No way, I’m in Journalism. We’re basically program cousins.”

Chanyeol laughed. “Well, if you ever need some half-decent photos for articles, I’m your guy.”

“Alright, I’m holding you to that. Do you go to the same school as Jongdae?”

“Yeah. I met him in some bs mandatory course we both had back in first year, but we clicked pretty well.”

Baekhyun grinned. “How have we never met until now? I go there too. Maybe we should meet up altogether on campus one day.”

“That would be nice.”

They make it to the coffee shop soon after, winding through small alleys to the hole-in-the-wall café. Baekhyun takes the liberty of buying them both drinks, letting Chanyeol take in the interior as they waited for their drinks to arrive.

“This is my favourite café,” Baekhyun said softly as the giant admired the brick walls covered in paintings. “It’s quiet and cozy. Their coffee is pretty good too.”

Chanyeol nodded as his gaze circled around the space until it fell upon one of the workers putting their drinks on the table. Baekhyun flashed her a kind smile and uttered a soft thanks before picking up his coffee and taking a sip.

“Do you drink a lot of coffee?” the small boy asked from behind the rim of his cup.

“Only during exam season. Otherwise it’s water and water alone.”

“And on the rare occasion, you just go crazy on alcohol?”

Chanyeol rubbed the nape of his neck, feeling tears prick at the back of his eyes as the thoughts he had managed to keep at bay suddenly came rushing back. Baekhyun gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Something I shouldn’t have asked?”

The giant shook his head, quickly wiping any tears threatening to spill with a quiet chuckle. “It’s… It’s stupid, honestly.”

“It might help to talk about it. Well, more than it would help to drink a whole lot to stop yourself from feeling sad. You don’t have to if you don’t want to—“

“It was my girlfriend. Well, my… uh, ex-girlfriend. She… broke things off last night.”

“Ah… So that was it,” he said, putting his cup down. “Any reason?”

“She said she wasn’t ready for a relationship now. Wasn’t ready to commit.”

“You two weren’t together long?”

“Almost a year, until a few days ago,” Chanyeol said, picking up his cup and taking a sip to try to get the lump from out of his throat. “It’s dumb. I shouldn’t be this caught up on things.”

Baekhyun furrowed his brows. “That’s not fair. If you’re sad, you’re allowed to be sad. Breakups are hard, I get it.”

“You too?”

“Well, I haven’t really dated in recent years, but I was head over heels for this one guy back in high school. I was the only one who gave a damn about our relationship, and after 2 years I had enough of it. Just broke things off. Still hurt like a bitch, though,” he punctuated with another sip of coffee.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was a long time ago. If anyone should be sorry, it’s your ex. You’re lovely company. Stupid of her to let that go so easily.”

Chanyeol smiled. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“Really, I mean it. It’ll be hard for a bit, but things’ll get better, I promise. Just keep your head up, okay?”

The giant nodded earnestly. Baekhyun perked up for a moment, reaching into his pocket for his phone, eyes flitting across the screen before sending Chanyeol an apologetic smile.

“Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta head out. It was really nice talking to you, Chanyeol. We should do this again sometime.”

“Yeah, definitely.”

“I’ll see you around?” Baekhyun asked, slipping his phone back into his pocket as he picked up his coffee cup.

Chanyeol nodded, watching Baekhyun’s lips split into a smile, waving goodbye first to the staff, then to the giant himself, slipping out of the café.

It's too late that Chanyeol realizes he forgot to ask the smaller boy for his number.


	2. February

February 14th 2020

The second time they meet, it's a complete coincidence. 

School sneaks up on Chanyeol before he’s truly ready for it, and before he knows it, he’s flooded in schoolwork. From assignments to finish to midterms to study for, he barely has time to breathe.

At times, he finds the thought of Baekhyun slipping from his mind, never finding the time to ask Jongdae for the boy’s number.

But at the end of the day, he supposes the workload a blessing in disguise.

Because for moments at a time, he forgets about her too. 

But Valentine’s day arrives, and the pain starts all over again.

Everywhere he goes on campus, there are happy couples exchanging gifts and kisses, and it hurts Chanyeol more than he’d like to admit. He catches himself wishing he still had her in his arms, wishing that he could still shower her in love despite the fact she had hurt him so badly.

He barely paid any attention in class that day, mind buzzing with too many other things to focus. He jumped in his seat when he felt his phone buzz on the table, sending vibrations down the row and dirty looks his way as he grabbed it quickly, hiding it behind his laptop screen.

Kim Jongdumb  
 _hey  
_ _r u still moping around_

Chanyeol glanced around before furiously typing back.

Park Chanyeol  
 _I’m in class u idiot shut up_

Kim Jongdumb  
 _r u moping around in class  
_ _don’t mope around today  
_ _minseok’s coming over later and I can’t have ur giant ass texting me every 5 minutes because ur lonely_

Park Chanyeol  
 _w o w_

Kim Jongdumb  
 _if u go straight home after ur lecture I’m gonna come after u tomorrow  
_ _don’t sit in the dark by urself u weirdo  
_ _ur banned from ur apartment until further notice  
_ _go outside  
_ _run some errands or smth idk_

Chanyeol set his lips in a tight line.

Park Chanyeol  
 _fine_

Kim Jongdumb  
 _awesome can you pick me up some snacks while ur out_

Park Chanyeol  
 _I—_

Kim Jongdumb  
 _love u yeollie~~~~_

The giant rolled his eyes, putting his phone face down on the table for the remainder of the lecture, half-heartedly taking notes on his laptop before the professor dismissed them from the hall. Chanyeol remained silent as he packed his things away, slipping on his headphones as he donned his winter jacket, slinging his backpack on as he walked briskly out of the room.

He took a glance out the window, letting out a sigh as he saw the sun already setting despite the fact it was still relatively early in the day. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked down the stairs, eager to get home as soon as possible.

~~~~~

He rides the subway in silence, eyes glued to his phone in favour of the almost overwhelming number of couples in the train, expressing affection for one another so publicly that it felt like they just existed to mock his own loneliness. He silently cursed whatever higher power was out there for torturing him like this.

He rolled his eyes as he went back over the grocery list Jongdae had left him since he had gotten out of class, shaking his head softly to himself as he got off the train. He moved without thinking, almost two years of living in the same apartment leaving the path burned into his brain. He walked up the steps from the station, bracing himself for the gust of cold air that hit him once he had gotten outside.

The winter had felt colder than usual, leaving Chanyeol even sadder than he had already been, if that was even possible. He was barely willing to leave his apartment for class, much less to buy snacks for Jongdae. But still, the giant went, stopping by a convenience store on his way home, breathing out a sigh of relief as he was surrounded by warmth again.

He caught sight of a flashy sign deeper into the store, not even bothering to check Jongdae’s list before making a beeline for what the store promised were discounted chocolates, hoping there would still be some left. If he was going to spend his day alone running errands for Jongdae, he figured he might as well treat himself to something.

He stopped in his tracks once he made it to the aisle, finding none other than Baekhyun already standing there, holding the last box off the shelf. The small boy turned to leave but stopped in his tracks once he saw the giant, standing awkwardly at the end of the aisle. Baekhyun’s eyes sparkled in recognition.

The giant blinked a few times.

“What are you doing here?” he asked without thinking.

“It’s nice to see you too,” Baekhyun said with a chuckle, hugging the box to his chest.

“Sorry, I mean—it’s been a while.”

“Guess a chance meeting on campus wasn’t in the cards for us.”

“I don’t think a chance meeting in a convenience store is too far off.”

“Well, I’m only here to buy some chocolate to soothe me when I’m all by my lonesome. Why are you here?”

“Jongdae’s not letting me go home.”

Baekhyun looked at him quizzically. “Why?”

“He didn’t want me moping at home on Valentine’s Day so he sent me out to run some errands.”

“That’s nice of him.”

“It was so I wouldn’t disturb his date with my whining.”

“Ah… That definitely sounds more like Jongdae.”

“So… why are you here?”

Baekhyun waved the box in front of Chanyeol. “Chocolate, remember?”

“No, I meant, why are you _here_ , in this convenience store of all places?”

“My apartment’s right down the road. My class got cancelled today and I figured I might as well go out and grab a snack since I haven’t left home all day.”

“Have you just been eating snacks all day?” Chanyeol asked, raising a brow.

“Mhm.”

“And you left your place… to buy more snacks… to go home and eat?”

“Hey, I’m legally an adult, I’m free to make as many poor decisions for myself as I want.”

Chanyeol smiled. “You have a point there.”

“So what are you up to while Jongdae’s banning you from going home?”

“I didn’t have plans. I was planning on buying Jongdae his snacks and heading home. Figured I could just tell him I stayed out all night.”

Baekhyun’s eyes twinkled for a moment. “Hey! We should hang out! Since the both of us were planning on staying home anyways, I mean. Plus, you get the added bonus of not lying to Jongdae about your whereabouts.”

The giant looked at the smaller in surprise.

“If you wanna do that at least?” Baekhyun tried, a sheepish smile on his face.

Chanyeol spared his phone a glance at the list that his friend had left him before looking back at Baekhyun. He pocketed his phone.

“Sure. Let’s get going.”

Baekhyun beamed, putting down the chocolates before following Chanyeol out of the store.

“What about Jongdae’s snacks?” Baekhyun asked, almost as an afterthought. “Don’t you need to get those?”

“If he’s that desperate for snacks he can go buy them himself.”

~~~~~

They take the subway back to their school’s campus, Chanyeol leading Baekhyun some ways down from the main buildings and by the back alleys of the area.

“It’s not as creepy as it looks, I promise,” Chanyeol offered, but it did little to soothe the smaller boy who seemed on edge since leaving the main street.

“I’ve been coming here ever since high school. The ladies that work here basically watched me grow up,” Chanyeol continued. “Doesn’t hurt that I get lots of discounts here.”

“Ah… so you charm little old ladies into getting cheap things?”

“Not how I would’ve phrased it.”

“Yet you don’t deny it.”

“I might not phrase it like that but I won’t correct you when you’re technically right.”

Baekhyun lets out an airy laugh, following Chanyeol to a small mom-and-pop store, ducking a bit under the low doorframe and letting out a loud greeting as the workers coo at the sight of him, one of the women quickly ushering him to a booth seat.

Chanyeol doesn’t even need to speak before the server is confirming his order, the giant nodding along before she heads back into the kitchen before Baekhyun can even react.

“Wow, you really weren’t kidding, huh?”

The giant chuckled. “Why would I lie? Being liked by store owners is one of my only redeeming qualities.”

“I’m sure that can’t be true. You must have other redeeming qualities. You’re probably great at grabbing things from the top shelf.”

“That’s only useful when you’re coordinated enough not to drop whatever you’re holding.”

Baekhyun laughs. “Aren’t you a photography major? How do you not completely obliterate your camera every time you use it?”

“Camera straps are a _godsend_. I can guarantee I would’ve broken my camera at least 5 times since the semester started if it weren’t for mine.”

It doesn’t take long for the food to arrive, the server putting down plates of dumplings before giving Chanyeol’s hair a ruffle.

“It’s been so long since we’ve seen you, Chanyeollie~” she coos as the giant’s cheeks turn pink.

“I was here two weeks ago-“

“And that’s too long for us here!”

The boy laughed. “Sorry, sorry, I’ll visit more often.”

“That’s what I like to hear. You and your friend eat up now, seconds are on us.” The woman said with a smile patting a hand on the tall boy’s shoulder before turning to tend to others in the restaurant. Chanyeol’s gaze followed her for a few beats before he focused back on the boy in front of him, watching with an amused smile.

“It’s cute, how fond of you they are.”

Chanyeol’s ears redden a bit as he casts his gaze downwards, feeling shy. The action leaves the smaller boy laughing airily before leaning forward, grabbing his chopsticks off the table and picking one of the dumplings up and putting it on Chanyeol’s plate in an invitation to eat.

Conversation throughout their meal is sparse, but their time spent in silence isn’t unwelcome. Chanyeol found it interesting—there was a sense of ease that came from being around Baekhyun, even though this was only their second meeting. Exchanges were never forced, lulls in conversation never awkward.

He pokes around at his food as he gets a bit lost watching Baekhyun. If the boy noticed his staring, he didn’t make a show of it, letting Chanyeol stare as he continued eating his meal before a thought came to his mind.

“Your number.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I forgot to get it last time,” he elaborated, pulling his phone out of his pocket as if to emphasize his point. “If you wouldn’t mind giving it to me, at least.”

Baekhyun let out a small breath in amusement before fishing his own phone out of his pocket, handing it to the taller.

“As long as you return the favour.” 


	3. March

March 22nd 2020

  


The third time they meet, it’s by the cherry blossom trees.

  


Despite being given a course syllabus at the beginning of the semester, the due date on one of Chanyeol’s final projects managed to slip between the mass of other things going on, leaving him scrambling to try to put something together at the last minute.

  


With less than a week to create and edit a half-decent portfolio for his professor, Chanyeol spends the day outside, snapback adjusted comfortably on his head, the strap of his camera strung on his neck.

  


Spring was coming, but the weather certainly did nothing to signal this change. The giant found this out the hard way as his fingers, curled up protectively around his camera, began to grow pained every time the wind blew against them. He silently cursed himself for not bringing gloves along with him, but at this point, he was more desperate for content to submit than he was concerned over the comfort of his hands.

  


He traipses the city streets, constantly holding his viewfinder up to his eye to try to find something interesting to photograph. His finger itches over the shutter button, wanting to snap a few pictures and call it a day, but every time he tried, he’d lower the camera with a huff, unsatisfied.

  


The midday streets were bland at best and while the composition of the shots were good, nothing stood out the way he wanted it to.

  


He let his camera hang from around his neck, shoving his cold hands into the pockets of his jacket as he walked away from the commercial area, desperate to find something better. He can feel the denim of his jeans scratch against his cold thighs, hissing at the pain that came with each step.

  


He only removes his hands from his pockets as he happens upon a park on his way back home, almost having given up his search. His hands clutch the cold camera tightly as he walks down the long paths, the walkways lined by trees not quite barren, but yet to bear any flowers. He moves closer to inspect them, squinting at the buds not quite ready to bloom when a voice behind him scares him out of his wits.

  


“They’re cherry blossom trees, if that’s what you were wondering.”

  


Chanyeol whips his head around, eyes wide and ready to stammer something out in response, but only finds a small smile blooming on his face when he sees who had spoken up.

  


Baekhyun, dressed appropriately for the cool late winter weather in a full knee-length jacket and scarf just large enough to bury his cheeks in, blinked back innocently at him.

  


“They aren’t set to bloom for a bit. I’d give it about a week, if that’s what you’re out to photograph.”

  


“I wasn’t expecting you here.”

  


Baekhyun laughed, “Hello to you too, Chanyeol. I see you’re ever the conversationalist. Are you here to photograph for fun or for school?”

  


“It’s a project for class. I managed to forget about so I have roughly 5 days to try to piece something together.”

  


“Ah… Find anything decent to take pictures of?”

  


“Not yet. I’ve been walking around town but everything just feels so…”

  


“Dull?”

  


“Yeah.”

  


“I’m not sure a barren park would do you much better,” Baekhyun said with a soft laugh. “I can help you scout for locations, if you’d like the company.”

  


“I’d love that.”

  


They walk the paved paths around the park, Chanyeol’s hands grasped firmly around his camera as Baekhyun moves forward, looking around for anything worth photographing. The taller boy bites his lip, moving his camera up to his face to watch Baekhyun move through his viewfinder.

  


He smiles to himself as he watches the boy, taking large steps forward in the jacket that almost swallowed him up. The park was the same dull colour, Baekhyun’s clothes looking muted and dark, but somehow, the boy lit up the frame like a Christmas tree.

  


Chanyeol hits the shutter button the moment Baekhyun turns around with a smile on his face. The giant pulls the camera away, feeling something flutter in his chest, feeling warmth in his cheeks despite the cool air.

  


“Are you even looking for nicer locations, Park? Or am I gonna be the only one hauling ass for your project?” he joked with a laugh. “Eyes on the prize!”

  


The giant lowered the camera from his face, a small smile on his face as he looked at the picture he had just taken. “Hey, crazy idea but… what do you think about being my subject?”

  


Baekhyun’s steps slowed to a stop. “Like, for your photos?”

  


“Yeah.”  
  


The boy let out a soft laugh, hands up in defense. “I don’t think that’d be a good idea. I’m super awkward in front of cameras, it wouldn’t make for any good shots.”

  


“I’d beg to differ. You photograph beautifully,” he said, waving his camera around. Baekhyun gave him a glare, but the smile playing on his lips indicated that there was no malice behind it.

  


“Taking pictures without my knowledge, huh? You know I could write a _scathing_ article about you in the school paper. _‘Photography isn’t the only thing this peeping tom is a major in’_.”

  


Chanyeol grinned. “That’s a _terrible_ headline, but I’m more offended having been downgraded to peeping tom so quickly. I would’ve accepted ‘ogler’ or ‘voyeur’ but peeping tom? That’s classless.”

  


Baekhyun laughed, closing the gap between the two. “At least let me see how I came out.”

  


“Wonderfully, if I do say so myself.”

  


The small boy breathed out. “It doesn’t look bad.”

  


“I’ve been studying photography for the past three years. I’d like to think I know how to take a semi-decent picture. But I really think you’d be a good subject, if you wouldn’t mind.”

  


“I don’t know…”

  


“If it’s your face you’re not comfortable with showing, we can find a way around it. I need to edit the photos for the project anyways, so even if you’re not happy with how you came out, I can always superimpose something on top of it,” Chanyeol said with a laugh. “I’ll give you all of the photos after too, so you can veto anything you’re not happy with.”

  


Baekhyun hummed. “When’s this due, again?”

  


“By Friday, so time is of the essence.”

  


“Throw in a meal, and you’ll have yourself a deal.”

  


“You drive a hard bargain, Byun.”

  


“If I’m stepping out of my comfort zone for this, I might as well get something out of this, right?”

  


“I guess you got me there.”

  


“Alright, let’s get started then. I can’t be faulted if you end up failing, alright?”

  


~~~~~

  


The rest of their day is spent walking around the neighbourhood, Chanyeol at times instructing the smaller how to pose, and others, just taking candid shots as the two converse through the streets.

  


He can see the finished images in his head already, his head swimming with ideas as he took photo after photo.

  


The locations he had gone to earlier in the day seemed lively in comparison with Baekhyun taking large steps, clouds of breath escaping his lips in puffs before dissipating again, eyes shining bright as they stared up at the sky.

  


It had been a while since Chanyeol had felt excited while taking photos, but there was something about capturing Baekhyun’s figure in the dim lights of the darkening streets that just felt different. Every photo he had taken since the year had started just felt like another chore he had to finish to get through the semester, but for the first time in a while, he was having fun.

  


The sun had disappeared from the sky long before they had finished, Chanyeol only lowering the camera from his face when his fingers cried from the cold. Baekhyun walked up to the giant, concern in his furrowed brow.

  


“Are you doing okay?”

  


“Yeah,” Chanyeol began, stretching out his fingers. “I didn’t realize we had been out for so long. My fingers are freezing.”

  


Without thinking, Baekhyun’s hands shot up, taking Chanyeol’s in his own, the overwhelming warmth eliciting a strained sound from the giant.

  


“Why didn’t you say something earlier? Let’s get you out of the cold.”

  


The giant nodded, suddenly acutely aware of Baekhyun’s hands holding his own. “There’s an ice cream place nearby.”

  


“That seems almost counter-productive, but as long as it’s indoors it should be fine. Lead the way, Park.”

  


~~~~~

  


They settle into the booth of an ice cream store a little down the road, Baekhyun picking at a scoop of strawberry ice cream while Chanyeol desperately tried to warm his hands on a cup of hot chocolate.

  


“Thanks for your help today. I really appreciate it.”

  


Baekhyun shook his head with a smile on his face. “Don’t mention it. It’s not like I had anything better to do anyways.”

  


“I’m sure you had plenty of better things to do other than walk around in the cold for a few hours.”

  


“It was that, or head back home and get nothing done. If I wasn’t gonna be productive today anyways, I’m happy I at least got some company.”

  


“I guess that’s true. I got a lot of good shots today. Maybe you should consider modeling.”

  


“That’s funny, Park. Maybe I’ll become a world-class superstar while I’m at it.”

  


“I’m being serious! You’re a lot better in front of a camera than you give yourself credit for.”

  


Baekhyun shook his head lightly. “Moving on,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’ve been thinking recently.”

  


“Wow, I never would’ve guessed.”

  


“Shut up. But I was thinking about how weird it is that we’ve only ever met each other by coincidence.”

  


Chanyeol raised the cup to his lips, taking a pensive sip. “I guess you’re right. Maybe it’s a sign from the universe.”

  


“A sign that we’re fated together?”

  


“I mean...”

  


Baekhyun put the spoon in his mouth for a moment before smiling. “Just to make it clear, if this really is a connection forged by the universe… I’m the hot one in the relationship.”

  


Chanyeol let out an airy chuckle, rolling his eyes. “As if. It’s obvious that _I’d_ be the hot one out of the two of us.”

  


“Keep dreaming, Park.”

  


Chanyeol isn’t sure how much time they spend in the store, but by the time he sees the bottom of his cup, his hands and heart feel a bit warmer than they had before. They parted reluctantly, and though Chanyeol didn’t know much, he knew he wanted to see Baekhyun again, wanted the warmth that the small boy’s presence always seemed to promise.

  



	4. April

April 9th 2020

The fourth time they meet, it’s in celebration. 

He spends the days after their photoshoot in a panic, furiously editing the photos and sending them to Baekhyun in real time to ensure he had the boy’s consent to submit them. He manages to scrape together a portfolio from his collection of photos, just barely turning in the project on time.

His mark for the project returns in a matter of weeks, the giant seated in bed with his laptop before him. He tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes as he found the results of his efforts, pleased to see lines of praise from his professor following one of the best grades he had received the whole semester.

He smiles as he reviews the photos he submitted, taking time to appreciate his work, as well as the work of the boy in the photos. His gaze flickers to his phone for a moment, fingers itching to reach out to it and contact Baekhyun, but he finds himself releasing a sigh, closing his laptop screen before walking into the bathroom.

Chanyeol raked a hand through his unruly locks, turning on the faucet to get himself ready for the day. He glanced at his phone absentmindedly as he brushed his teeth, wondering if he should tell Baekhyun about it. He picked up the device, fiddling with it in his hand, finger hovering over the call button before putting the phone down again, too afraid to make the call.

It takes him almost half an hour of contemplating in between getting ready that he finally finds the nerve to call Baekhyun, sitting with steepled fingers pressed up to his face as his phone sat on his table on speakerphone.

A part of him wanted to hang up, already regretting his choices, but at that moment, the rings stop and are replaced with Baekhyun’s soft voice.

_“Hello?”_

“Baekhyun, hi.”

_“What’s up?”_

“I… uh… I got my project back. The one you modeled for.”

_“Oh?”_

“Yeah… I got a really good mark on it. Probably the best so far this year.”

Baekhyun let out a soft laugh. _“I’m glad to hear that.”_

“Thanks again for helping. I really do appreciate it.”

_“It’s no problem. I’m just happy to hear you did well.”_

Chanyeol smiled.

_“So, is that all, or—“_

“Oh, I uh… Well, I promised you a meal for your efforts. So, I was just wondering if you would be free today to do that.”

_“Ah… I’d be willing, but I’m actually putting together my final project.”_

“Oh…”

_“But, if you don’t mind waiting, I’m just putting the finishing touches on it. We can meet for dinner?”_

“Yeah, that’s totally fine. Where are you now? I can meet you.”

_“I’ve been in the library for hours now, and I don’t want to be out any longer. Is there anywhere close to home that we can go to?”_

Chanyeol hummed. “Well, if you’d like, we can head over to my place? Maybe order some food and stay in for the night?”

“Wow _. We haven’t even gone on a single date, yet you’re already inviting me into your home? Scandalous, scandalous, Park.”_

Chanyeol let out a good-natured laugh. “So, can I take that as a yes?”

_“Count me in.”_

~~~~~

Baekhyun estimates his assignment will be finished in less than two hours, giving Chanyeol time to try to make his apartment look like less of a mess. It’s somewhere in between the second and third trash bag he had managed to fill to the top that he wonders where he went wrong. He could’ve sworn his apartment hadn’t been this messy a few weeks ago.

The sun was already starting to set by the time Chanyeol left his apartment, slinging a bag over his shoulder as he waited for the elevator to arrive, thumbing at his phone silently as the doors slid open.

Park Chanyeol  
 _hey  
_ _i’m heading out now_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _great timing  
_ _i just finished  
_ _where do you want to meet?_

Park Chanyeol  
 _hmm  
_ _depends on dinner i guess  
_ _how do you feel about chicken?_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _god  
_ _yes  
_ _please_

Park Chanyeol  
 _lol alright  
_ _i’ll head over to a restaurant nearby  
_ _meet by the convenience store?_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _alright see u soon_

Chanyeol smiled while pocketing his phone, already arrived at the ground floor. Despite spring being near, the weather had still yet to warm, leaving the giant still bundled up on his way out of his building. He pulled his jacket closed around his body, arms crossed as he took quick steps down the road, not wanting to take too long to get to the store.

He orders quickly, realizing belatedly that he had forgotten to ask what exactly Baekhyun had wanted, leaving him to make a few educated guesses in his order.

Nevertheless, he leaves the restaurant within the hour, hugging a box of fried chicken to his chest as he made his way to the convenience store, sighing contentedly at the warmth. Though the walk to the store isn’t far, he finds Baekhyun already waiting outside the doors for him, giving him a smile and closing the distance.

“Were you waiting long?” Chanyeol asked, walking them back to his apartment. Baekhyun shook his head.

“It’s only been about ten minutes. Gave me time to buy us some drinks.”

“Nice. How’d the project go?”

“It’s over, which is really the most important thing here.”

Chanyeol hummed in agreement, holding the box a little closer to his chest. They make it to his building in a matter of moments, riding the elevator up to the giant’s floor, Baekhyun waiting patiently as Chanyeol fumbled for his keys.

“Exam season hasn’t even started yet and you’re already struggling with basic tasks. How are you gonna survive, Park?” Baekhyun asked with a laugh as Chanyeol finally pulled the keys out of his pocket, unlocking the door with a huff.

“Just get in before I change my mind and clear this box on my own.”

Baekhyun laughed, but walked through the door anyways. “You can kick me out if you want, you’ll still owe me a meal.”

“You got me there,” Chanyeol said, slipping off his shoes and using his free hand to lock the door behind him.

Baekhyun had already taken a few steps down the short corridor, head turning around with each step further into the apartment. He let out a low whistle as he entered the main area, eyes going from the kitchen to the living room, and finally to the dining table that separated the two. He put down his bag, pulling out bottle after bottle of alcohol, Chanyeol giving him a wary look as he put the chicken down as well.

“Don’t give me that look, Park. I just handed in my final project and my first final is in less than two weeks. Sober is the last thing I want to be right now.”

The giant gives him a nod before pulling a bottle opener out from a drawer, throwing it to Baekhyun who promptly opens two bottles of beer for the pair. Chanyeol smiles, grabbing his T.V. remote as Baekhyun opened the box of chicken, seated patiently as Chanyeol surfed through the channels for something mildly interesting to play in the background.

He settled on a channel playing some foreign movie he couldn’t quite place, tossing the remote onto one of the cushioned dining chairs before taking a seat himself, gesturing for Baekhyun to take the first piece.

Chanyeol takes a swig of his drink before diving in himself, not realizing how hungry he had been after barely eating the whole day. It isn’t long before the two are slowing down, half the box cleared and their minds a little fuzzier than they had been a bit before.

“It’s kinda weird,” Baekhyun begins, inspecting one of the bones in his hand. “We don’t really see each other that often but I feel really comfortable around you.”

Chanyeol smiled, feeling a warmth bubbling in his stomach.

“I’m really comfortable around you too.”

“You’re really easy to talk to. It makes me feel like I’ve known you forever even though I barely know anything about you,” Baekhyun said with a laugh.

“Now that you mention it, yeah. We don’t really know too much about each other.”

Baekhyun took a leisurely sip of his drink, gesturing to Chanyeol. “Ask away if you’re curious. I’m an open book.”

“Do you have a favourite colour?”

The small boy scoffed.

“Is that a no?”

“No, my favourite colour is red, I just wasn’t expecting that kind of a question.”

“’That kind of question’?”

“You know, like the kind of question toddlers ask when they first make friends.”

“Wow, okay. Then show me how it’s done, Byun.”

Baekhyun hummed, swirling the liquid inside of the bottle as he leaned back. “What was the last thing you Googled?”

“This is your standard for a better question?”

“It’s better than asking for a favourite colour, Park. So what is it?”

Chanyeol gave him a look, but pulled out his phone anyways to open his browser. “It’s uh… Not important.”

“Come _on_ , Park. I answered your colour question! There’s no shame here.”

“I… It’s Peppa Pig.”

Baekhyun sputtered, sitting up straight with a laugh. _“What? Why?”_

“I have my reasons, okay? You can’t possibly tell me that your search history is any better.”

A smile played on Baekhyun’s lips as he pulled out his own phone, taking a look before presenting his screen. “Read it and weep, Peppa Pig.”

The giant narrowed his eyes. “You can’t shame me for googling that when your last search term was ‘how much do baby cows sell on the black market’.”

“It was for a journalism piece, alright?”

“What kind of—“

“Moving on.”

The pair talk into the night, barely noticing as the time ticked away, clearing cans of beer as they laughed together, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. By the time either of them check the clock, it’s well past midnight. Chanyeol offers his couch for the smaller boy, but Baekhyun politely declines. At the very least, the giant insists on walking the smaller boy to the convenience store, watching the small boy wave goodbye before disappearing into the distance.

Chanyeol smiled as he waved back, the cold of the night almost unnoticeable with the warmth pooling in his stomach as he made his way back home.


	5. May

May 6th 2020

The fifth time they meet, it's because of Jongdae.

After the stress of exams had finally passed, Chanyeol found himself lying in bed more often than not, too mentally exhausted to get anything done. He wasn’t sure how much time he had spent lazing around his apartment, fixing himself instant meals between episodes of a show he had re-watched too many times.

It’s a bright Sunday morning when he gets a call from his friend, squeezing his eyes shut as he nuzzled deeper into his sheets, trying to ignore the incessant vibration. It takes a few moments of unrelenting buzzing before he’s groaning, hand moving wildly against his nightstand to make the sound stop.

He gives his device a weak glare as he gets a look at the caller ID, answering the phone and putting it on speaker as he throws the device next to his pillow. His eyes flutter closed.

“What do you want, Jongdae?” Chanyeol croaked out, voice raspy.

_“Did I wake you up, sleeping beauty?”_

“Shut up.”

_“It’s already noon. What happened to the Chanyeol who used to wake up bright and early at 7am?”_

“Exams killed him.”

_“Jeez.”_

“What did you want?”

_“I was just calling to ask if you were coming to dinner on Wednesday.”_

Chanyeol furrowed his brow, peeking his eyes open as he tries to adjust to the light spilling in through his windows. “You’re going out to dinner on Wednesday?”

_“Yeah? Obviously Baek and I are gonna be there, but Junmyeon, Sehun, Jongin, and Kyungsoo should be coming too— You know Junmyeon and Sehun, right? I called some others but they haven’t responded yet.”_

“Wait what?”

_“I mean, I’m not surprised not that many people RSVP’d, we did only make the plan last night—“_

The giant sits up, grabbing his phone as he absentmindedly rubs at his eyes. “Why are you randomly planning a big dinner in the middle of the week?” he asks in confusion.

_“What do you mean ‘randomly’? It’s Baekhyun’s birthday?”_

“It’s _what?”_ the giant asked, eyes widening in surprise.

_“Did he not tell you? I would’ve thought with how much you two have been hanging out, it would’ve come up eventually.”_

“Shit, that’s so soon. I don’t even know what to get him—“

_“Calm down, Chanyeol. Baek’s not a materialistic person. You don’t need to get him anything.”_

Chanyeol frowned. “But—“

_“It’s taken us_ ages _to even get him to agree to us treating him to a meal. I’m pretty sure he’s not gonna mind if you show up empty-handed to a dinner.”_

“I still feel like I should bring him something, even if it’s small.”

_“I mean, if you wanna do that, go for it.”_

“Any ideas for what to get him?”

Jongdae hummed. _“He likes practical things.”_

“Like what?”

_“I don’t know, like… food? Or like, maybe gaming stuff?”_

“I’ll… figure something out.”

_“So can I count you in on dinner?”_

“Yeah, for sure.”

_“Alright, see you then.”_

~~~~~

Chanyeol shifts uncomfortably as he picks up a console game from the shelf, inspecting the box in his hands. It was some title he had seen somewhere in passing, somewhere he couldn’t quite place. He hummed, scanning the cover, almost in hopes that it would give him the answers he needed, barely registering as someone behind him tried to get a game he was standing in front of. He moved to the side, mumbling a quiet apology before putting down the game in resignation. 

He had already spent his morning walking around a mall in search of something to buy the boy, only to find himself empty handed, feeling more unsure than ever.

He had contemplated calling Baekhyun directly a few times just to ask what he wanted, but every time he had pulled his phone out of his pocket, finger poised to make the call, he let out a sigh, putting the device away again.

Chanyeol takes the cashier’s suspicious looks at him as a sign to give up on the store, at least for the time being. He pulls his phone out as he leaves, brows raised as he notices a few new messages on his screen.

Byun Baekhyun  
 _hey chanyeol  
_ _you’re coming on wednesday yeah?_

Park Chanyeol  
 _yeah i am!  
_ _i can’t believe you didn’t tell me your birthday was coming up_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _lol its because its not that big of a deal_

Park Chanyeol  
 _im gonna fight you omg  
_ _this isnt enough time_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _enough time for what??  
_ _are you trying to get me a gift_

Park Chanyeol  
 _…_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _dont  
_ _dont  
_ _dont  
_ _i swear park  
_ _if you try to get me anything im uninviting you to dinner_

Park Chanyeol  
 _…  
_ _is it that serious baekhyun_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _either you give me a gift or you keep this friendship park  
_ _there’s no in between_

Park Chanyeol  
 _jeez okay_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _awesome!!  
_ _see you wednesday chanyeol!!_

The giant sighed, pocketing his phone again.

~~~~~

Before he knows it, Wednesday has arrived, and Chanyeol finds himself adjusting and readjusting a jacket on his body, frowning at his reflection in the mirror as he tried to fix his outfit. It wasn’t long before he had to head out, but there was something that felt weird.

He bit his lip, going back to his dresser in hopes of finding something different to change into, digging through the poorly folded clothes when his hand hit something metal. His brows furrowed in confusion as he dug it out, only to have his heart sink as he held a promise ring in his hand. He scoffed, trying to mask an underlying feeling of pain digging away at his heart.

“Some promise that was,” he muttered to himself. He had almost forgotten he had hidden it away a few months ago, not even giving himself the time to be sad when he had school to worry about. He let out a sigh, twirling it around in his fingers, watching the small jewels gleam. He let out a breathy chuckle. He honestly found the old thing objectively ugly, but she liked it so he always made sure to wear it.

Not that it mattered anymore.

The sound of his ringtone snapped him back to reality, the boy pulling out his phone as he gripped the ring in his other hand.

“Hello?”

_“Hey, have you left yet?”_ Jongdae asked.

“Uh, no not yet. What’s up?”

_“Just wanted to make sure you didn’t forget about dinner. I know Baek’s been a little worried about it too, so I was wondering if you could just meet up with him and head over together. You guys live near each other, right?”_

“Uh… yeah sure no problem.”

There was a pause on the line.

_“Hey, Yeol, are you doing okay?”_

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine.”

_“Are you sure?”_

Chanyeol bit his lip, putting the ring down on his dresser.

“Yeah. I’m heading out so I’ll meet you at the restaurant?”

_“Alright. See you soon then.”_

~~~~~

True to his word, he calls Baekhyun on his way out of the apartment. They agree to meet up around the convenience store as usual, Chanyeol quickly pocketing a small wrapped object before heading out.

Even before he arrives, he can see Baekhyun’s figure by the store, waving the giant over as he closed the distance between them.

“Happy birthday,” Chanyeol said before Baekhyun could get a word out.

“Ugh don’t even remind me. I can _feel_ myself aging and it’s terrible.”

Chanyeol let out a good-natured laugh. “Get used to it. It only goes downhill from here, you senior citizen.”

The subway station isn’t a far walk from the store, and the pair quickly find themselves in a quiet subway car. The rush of commuters had just recently calmed by the looks of it, the subway carts feeling strangely empty as they rode it down the line. It’s when Baekhyun is nudging him to get off the subway that Chanyeol realizes belatedly that he actually hadn’t a clue where they were meeting, relying solely on Baekhyun to get them where they needed to be.

He trails after Baekhyun like a lost puppy, watching him glance from his phone to the street, biting his lip as he took unsure steps forward. Chanyeol suppressed the chuckle about to escape his throat as the smaller boy furiously shook his head, fingers moving to zoom in whatever was on his screen.

“Having some trouble?” Chanyeol asked, a lilt in his tone as he peered over Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“I swear the restaurant was somewhere on this block,” the small boy said, furrowing his brow at the phone. “Where…?”

“Mind if I give it a try, birthday boy?”

Baekhyun sighed, giving his phone to the giant before the taller smiled, nodding his head in the opposite direction. “I know the place, just follow me.”

~~~~~

It isn’t long until they’re settled into the restaurant where the rest of the group were already waiting for them, teasing Baekhyun for his lack of directional skills.

It’s comfortable, Chanyeol thinks. Much more so than he expects.

He hadn’t realized that it had been so long since he had seen all his friends together. The last time he had seen them all at once had been at Jongdae’s New Year’s party, and that had been a whole semester ago.

He finds himself smiling as his friends all laugh together, and he belatedly realizes how sorely he had missed spending time with everyone.

Their meal ends with the servers bringing Baekhyun a slice of cake, lit with a single candle as the group sang him an off-key ‘happy birthday’.

“You guys are too much,” Baekhyun laughed, cheeks red in embarrassment but his eyes were filled with adoration.

They leave the restaurant red faced and elated, each of them just a few drinks from tipsy. They bid each other goodbye, splitting off into pairs as they staggered home, hearts full and smiles on their faces.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol walk back to the subway station together, the small boy not hesitating to lace their fingers together as they walked back. The giant could feel his cheeks warm at the action, not bothering to separate their hands.

They stayed like this from the restaurant all the way back to the convenience store between their apartments.

“Thanks for coming out tonight,” Baekhyun said, smile shining through his voice. “It was a lot of fun.”

“Thanks for inviting me out.”

“Get home safely, alright?” Baekhyun asked, pulling his hand back slowly. He let out a giggle when Chanyeol’s fingers stayed holding on tightly.

“Wait…” Chanyeol said before letting go of the smaller’s hand. “I… uh…” he started, pulling a small package from the pocket of his jacket.

“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun said, tone warning.

“I know you said no gifts, but since dinner is over, you can’t uninvite me! Plus, if you don’t take it, it would really hurt my feelings.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, smile still on his face. Chanyeol beamed back, putting the small gift into Baekhyun’s hands. The small boy made quick work of unwrapping it, brows furrowed in confusion for a moment before he lets out a laugh.

“I wasn’t sure what else to get you—“

“So artisanal strawberry jam was your answer?” Baekhyun said, still laughing good-naturedly.

“Well, you got strawberry ice cream that one time, so I figured you liked strawberry-flavoured things enough! And it’s diverse in use! You can… you can eat it on bread! I realize in hindsight how stupid that sounds—“

“Chanyeol—“

“Shit, I don’t even know if you like bread. Do you like bread?”

“Yes, Chanyeol. I do like bread. And strawberries. Thank you for this. Really.”

The tall boy turned pink, all the way to the tips of his ears. Baekhyun reached for his hand again, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Chanyeol smiled. “Happy birthday, Baek.”


	6. June

June 14th 2020

The sixth time they meet, it's again, because of Jongdae. 

On an overcast morning, Chanyeol found himself hunched over a bowl of instant noodles, long legs folded on his couch as he watched the news on the television. His phone kept ringing with the sound of notifications, causing the tall boy to furrow his brow before switching his phone to silent.

It only granted him a few moments of peace before the ringing turned into aggressive buzzing that left the whole coffee table shaking underneath it. He groaned around a mouthful of noodles, picking up his phone to see what was going on.

**_15 New Messages!_ **

Kim Jongdumb  
 _hey bitchass  
_ _i’m at your door  
_ _let me in  
_ _hey  
_ _hey  
_ _hey  
_ _hey  
_ _hey  
_ _stop ignoring me you dick  
_ _hey  
_ _chnyeoll  
_ _chanyol  
_ _chanyeol  
_ _chanyeol  
_ _let me in_

Chanyeol placed his noodles down on the table tentatively, walking quietly to the front door and peering through the door’s peephole to find Jongdae still typing away on his phone. The taller rolled his eyes, unlocking the door and swinging it open.

“How did you even get up here?” Chanyeol asked.

“Good morning to you too, Yeollie,” Jongdae said, kicking off his shoes and waltzing into the apartment.

“Jongdae—“

“All the people that work in your building already know me. They saw me standing there and opened the door _for_ me.”

“Of course they did. Remind me to file a complaint with security later. Now why are you here?”

“Let’s go to the beach.”

Chanyeol raised a brow. “Today?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Isn’t it supposed to rain today?”

“It’s supposed to clear up by the afternoon. We’ll be fine,” he said, jumping onto the couch. “Instant noodles for breakfast Yeollie? Is this the best choice?”

“Did you come all the way here to ask me to go to the beach and critique my diet?”

“Your body is a _temple_ , Chanyeol. At least eat an apple or something.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

“And no, I didn’t just come here to ask you to go to the beach with me. I came because you own a car.”

“Doesn’t Junmyeon—“

“Junmyeon’s car is already full.”

“I swear to god—“

“Baek’s packing his shit right now, but he said he’ll be over in like half an hour. It’ll be a fun road trip, don’t you think?”

“You’re the worst, you know that?”

“I’m not hearing a no~”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re just lucky I didn’t have any plans today.”

“Does it count as luck if you don’t have any plans ever?”

“Do you want that ride or not?” 

“You know I’m just teasing, Yeollie. Now go get ready, Baek’s gonna head out soon.”

~~~~~

Almost an hour later they find themselves in Chanyeol’s car, driving to the nearest beach. Jongdae is seated comfortably in the passenger seat with Baekhyun in the backseat, a hand draped over the seat next to him to keep a hold on all their bags.

Chanyeol pursed his lips as he stared up at the sky, dark clouds refusing to disperse from the overcast skies.

“Are you sure it’s not gonna rain today?” he asked, unsure.

“Forecast says it’s not meant to rain today,” Jongdae reassured him, not looking up from the phone in his hands. “We should be fine.”

Baekhyun hummed from the backseat. “Even if it does rain, we should be fine. We’re going to the _beach_ after all. I’m sure everyone at least brought a change of clothes.”

Chanyeol cleared his throat awkwardly. “I, uh… I didn’t.”

Jongdae lowered his phone. “Did you bring a towel with you?”

The taller stayed silent.

“Chanyeol—“ Baekhyun began.

“How were you planning on swimming if you didn’t bring anything with you dummy?” Jongdae asked.

“I figured I probably wouldn’t end up swimming anyways. If everyone wants to go, I can just stay back and watch our things,” Chanyeol said, pulling into a parking lot nearby the beach. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“You can always come back to the car if anything!” Baekhyun supplied, Chanyeol humming in agreement as he made work of backing into a spot.

Jongdae lets out a breath through his nose, unbuckling his seatbelt. “If you’re sure Yeollie.”

~~~~~

Arms full with their bags, the trio find the rest of their friends already settled with their things, lounging on the sand and enjoying drinks together. They let their stuff down, setting out their own beach towels onto the sand, the others already handing them drinks from a cooler. Chanyeol takes a soda, giving a smile to Junmyeon who had done the same. They clinked their cans together in understanding as the others went straight for the alcohol.

“To designated driving,” Junmyeon said with a smile, lifting the can to his mouth.

“To being the only responsible ones here,” Chanyeol responded.

“Hey, if we’re about to get drenched in rain because Jongdae doesn’t know how to check the weather, then I reserve the right to drink,” Sehun said.

“Yeah, yeah, blame the alcoholism on me,” Jongdae said good-naturedly. “You’re lucky you’re young, your liver still has a long way to go.”

“Oh shut up grandpa, you’re only two years older than me.”

“And those two extra years have hardened me into the man I am today!” Jongdae cried dramatically. “I can only pray for a liver as spry as yours.”

Jongin sputtered. “What the fuck does having a spry _liver_ mean?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to know either, you sweet summer child,” Baekhyun said, resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “But it’s only a matter of time until you make it to our old age.”

“You guys are the worst.”

Chanyeol smiles into his can as his friends continue their conversation, leaning back on one hand. He spares a glance up out at the rest of the beach, fairly populated with families and young couples alike, some splashing around in the water while others sat together on the sand sharing snacks. He smiles at the sight, turning back to face his friends only to see Kyungsoo frowning.

“Did anyone else feel—” Kyungsoo began, before raindrops began to fall. Slowly at first, just enough to give everyone a chance to realize what was happening, before the fall started getting heavier and heavier.

Chanyeol blinked along with his friends in a moment of confusion, but quickly reached out for his things as he felt the fabric of his shirt sticking to his skin more and more.

“Get to the car first!” Baekhyun said, tossing his bag to Chanyeol. “We’ll take care of everything else!”

The tall boy nodded wordlessly, sprinting to his car, ignoring the prick in his shoes as sand got kicked into them. His fingers fumbled with the keys, but soon enough, he was able to unlock the vehicle, throwing the bags into the backseat and climbing into the driver’s seat. The sound of rain against his car was thundering, the boy’s heart racing as he felt a chill run through his body. He spared his clothes a glance, only to see that there was barely a spot on the fabric that _hadn’t_ gotten wet. He let out a sigh, putting his keys into ignition and turning on the heat. He could feel the chill down to his bones, sitting as still as possible in his car, waiting to warm up again.

The rain was growing heavier and lighter in waves, hitting against his car all the same, leaving him mesmerized at the sight of the water cascading down the front windshield. He jumped in his seat when he heard a knock at the passenger seat window, quickly unlocking the doors to let an equally soaked Baekhyun into the vehicle.

He could hear the small boy let out an audible sigh at the warmth, rubbing the water off his face as he leaned back into the seat.

“You got my bag in, yeah?” he asked, Chanyeol nodding to the backseat in response. Baekhyun hummed, reaching back and digging through his things before producing a towel and a change of clothes. He tossed his towel at Chanyeol as he laid his clothes on his lap. “Get yourself dried up as best you can alright?” he said, starting to peel the wet clothes off his body.

Chanyeol flushed as Baekhyun began pulling off his shirt, revealing milky white skin.

“You!” Chanyeol yelled a little too loud, shocking the smaller to a stop. “You can change in the backseat!”

Baekhyun smiled at the sight of the tall boy’s reddened cheeks, letting out a chuckle. “Never would’ve pegged you for a prude, Park,” he joked good-naturedly. “I’ll change back there then.”

“T-Thank you,” Chanyeol stuttered out, staring down at the towel in his lap as Baekhyun crawled back.

“You might wanna start drying yourself off,” Baekhyun said from the backseat. “You’re gonna catch a cold if you don’t do something soon.”

The giant nodded, draping the towel around his shoulders and averting eye contact with the smaller boy.

“It turns out that the rain was only _really_ heavy for the first few minutes,” Baekhyun said casually, as if he weren’t half naked in the back of the car. “They found something to hide under and said they’d wait it out for a bit and try to go swimming if the rain got lighter.”

“Why are you getting changed now? Won’t you be out of dry clothes after swimming?”

“I don’t feel like swimming anymore. I’d rather stay in the car with you anyways.”

The giant could feel his heart pick up, but tried to ignore the feeling. With a grunt, Baekhyun climbed back into the passenger seat in dry clothes, settling himself comfortably with a bare foot on the edge of the seat. The rain had calmed from earlier, hitting the windshield now in consistent, but gentler taps. Baekhyun hummed, fingers tapping against his knee.

The silence between the two was comfortable, filled with the pitter patter of the rain and the soft whirring of the car’s heating.

By now, Chanyeol was mostly dry, leaving only the underside of his pants still wet from being pressed against the tattered pleather of his seat. He took the towel off from his shoulders, carefully folding it up onto his lap with a sniffle.

“Are you all dried up?” Baekhyun asked softly. “Be careful not to get sick.”  
  
“I’ll be fine.”

“That’s what you said about going to the beach without a towel or a change of clothes,” Baekhyun said with a laugh.

“But you gave me yours in the end. You’re like my knight in shining armour.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Park.”

There was a moment of pause before a soft growling was heard, forcing a chuckle out of Chanyeol’s throat.

“Hungry?”

“Just a bit,” Baekhyun said. “I was in a bit of a rush on my way out and didn’t get too much to eat.”

Chanyeol smiled, reaching into the backseat for his bag, pulling out two apples. He handed one to Baekhyun who accepted it with a smile and a small thanks.

The taller boy watched as Baekhyun wiped the apple on his shirt, taking a bite into the bright red skin with a crunch. Small droplets of water still clung onto his skin, leaving a wet ring around the neck of his shirt, his lips pulled back into a smile as he chewed. His hair was drying but still considerably wet, small strands clumping together in front of his eyes. If Baekhyun had noticed Chanyeol’s staring, he made no sign of it, looking forward for a few moments more before his eyes flit back to Chanyeol, his smile growing by just a bit. 

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Chanyeol said, blank face betraying a feeling of warmth in him. He took a bite into his own apple, not realizing how hungry he had been before that moment. He leaned back into his seat, feeling more content than he had felt in a long time.

Maybe the rainy beach trip was more worthwhile than he had realized.


	7. July

July 26th 2020

It's after their sixth meeting that the two start taking the initiative to see each other. 

After checking the weather for a week to ensure no more close calls with thunderstorms, Chanyeol finds a day to invite his friends to a picnic at the nearest riverbank. With all of his friends available for the next day, Chanyeol finds himself smiling over the cutting board in front of him.

Though they had all agreed to bring something to eat, Chanyeol figured most of his friends (except for maybe Junmyeon) would bring convenience store snacks. He thought it best to cook something himself, in hopes that it would be a little more substantial.

He diligently cut through a bell pepper, taking care to clear the inside of the seeds before making another slice down the side. As he sliced, his phone began vibrating against the table, causing the taller to wipe a hand on the washcloth next to him, flipping the device and answering the call in one movement. He resumed cutting without giving the device a second glance.

“Hello?”

_“What are you bringing to the picnic tomorrow?”_ a voice asked without missing a beat. Chanyeol let out a laugh through his nose.

“Hello to you too, Baekhyun.”

_“That’s not an answer.”_

“What are _you_ bringing?”

_“I asked you first.”_

“I’m making peppers and sausage.”

_“You’re cooking?”_

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

_“I didn’t know you knew how to cook,”_ Baekhyun admitted with a soft laugh.

“What about you then? What are you bringing?”

_“Haven’t figured that out yet. I thought of just finding something at the convenience store tomorrow but I just wanted to gauge how much effort everyone else was putting into food before doing that.”_

“And what’s the verdict?”

_“I don’t have a verdict. You’re the first one I called.”_

Chanyeol smiled, ignoring the warmth in his cheeks.

_“How much have you gotten done so far?”_

“Well, I just started cooking. If you want, you could help me cook some rice and we can say the whole thing is from both of us.”

Baekhyun laughed. _“Hey, if you’re okay with me piggybacking on you, I’m not gonna say no. I’ll be over in like ten minutes then?”_

Chanyeol furrowed his brow. “Why would you need to come over here to cook rice?”

_“Cooking is only fun if you do it with someone!”_

“Is it because you don’t have any rice at home, or because you don’t have a rice cooker?”

_“Details like that aren’t important! I’ll text you when I’m downstairs just keep an eye on your phone, alright Park?”_

~~~~~

True to his word, Baekhyun appears in the lobby of Chanyeol’s building ten minutes later, the taller buzzing him quickly before returning to the bell peppers in front of him. He hears a knocking a few minutes later.

“It’s open!” he called as he poured the pieces of pepper into a separate bowl.

“It’s an awful lot of trust you’re giving me to leave your door unlocked,” Baekhyun said from the front door, locking the door behind him. “I could’ve been a murderer.”

“Are you a murderer?” Chanyeol asked as Baekhyun entered the kitchen, eyes still trained at the cutting board as the smaller placed a plastic bag on the dining table.

“Well no, but I could’ve brought one with me.”

“Did you bring a murderer with you?”

“I did not.”

“Then I guess I’m a lucky man,” Chanyeol said, looking up at the boy. “What did you bring?”

“Some alcohol and snacks. Thought it might make cooking a bit more fun.”

“Did you eat dinner yet?”

Baekhyun shook his head.

“I haven’t either,” Chanyeol said, putting an onion on the cutting board. “If you want, we can save those snacks for tomorrow, and we can just cook a little extra of this and have it for dinner.”

“Beats another night of instant noodles,” Baekhyun said with a laugh. “I’m in.”

“How many nights have you been eating instant noodles for dinner?” Chanyeol asked, half in concern.

“That’s not important. Point me to your rice and I’ll get cooking,” Baekhyun said, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

Chanyeol let out an amused breath, nodding to one of the cupboards. “Rice and rice cooker are in there. Make lots, alright?”

~~~~~ 

The night ends with the two at opposite ends of Chanyeol’s dinner table, finishing what was left of their drinks as they picked at what remained of their dinner.

Chanyeol rose from his seat with a sigh, stretching out his legs as he collected their now-empty bowls of rice to deliver them to the sink as Baekhyun continued nibbling on pieces of pepper.

“What time were we gonna meet up tomorrow?” Baekhyun asked as Chanyeol turned on the faucet.

“About 5:00. Half of them wake up past 2 anyways, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to meet later in the day.”

Baekhyun hummed, sparing his phone a glance. “It’s getting late. I should probably head out soon.”

Chanyeol looked over at the clock on the stove, letting out a low hum when he saw the display showing _2:30_ in bold red lettering.

“I’d drive you home, but I already drank. Are you sure you wanna be walking home at this time?”

“It doesn’t make sense to get a taxi to take me down a block, it’s fine.”

“I mean,” the taller began. “My sofa pulls out. If you’d be okay with staying for the night.”

“Are _you_ sure? You already let me freeload with tomorrow’s food. Plus I don’t have any clothes or anything with me anyways.”

“You cooked rice, so I don’t think that counts as freeloading.”

Baekhyun scoffed.

“And if you’re worried because you don’t have anything with you, I have spare toothbrushes and some old shirts you can sleep in. If you want, we can swing by your place tomorrow before the picnic so you can get changed or whatever else you need to do.”

“You really don’t have to—”

“Really, I insist.”

Baekhyun let out a breath. “Alright, alright. I owe you one though.”

“Whatever you say, Byun. I’m gonna get started on the dishes if you wanna get a shower in before bed. Come on,” Chanyeol said, shouldering open the door to his room and rummaging through the closet as Baekhyun followed after him. He hummed, pulling out an unused towel and one of his sleeping shirts, turning around and putting it in Baekhyun’s arms. “The bathroom door is over there by the dresser.”

The smaller boy thanked him with a smile, looking around for a light-switch before closing the door and locking it with a _click!_

Chanyeol smiled as he heard the water run, closing the closet door and heading back to the kitchen to get the dishes done. As he made work of the dishes, he let out a soft laugh at the sound of Baekhyun’s singing, loud enough to be heard through running water and a few closed doors.

The tall boy hums along to the song that Baekhyun was singing to, some obscure song from an obscure artist that Chanyeol was pleasantly surprised to know that Baekhyun also listened to. He scrubbed diligently at a stubborn patch of dried rice at the bottom of the pot, as he hummed along with the boy in the shower, slowly moving the dishes on the sink onto a drying rack.

He lets out a sigh as he places the last of the dishes out to dry, wiping down his hands and stretching out his back as the rushing water in the bathroom slowed to a stop. He walks over to the couch, converting it to a bed and rearranging the pillows for comfort. He patted down his pants, turning back to his bedroom to find some extra blankets.

Shouldering the door open, he finds Baekhyun facing the dresser, jumping at the tall boy’s sudden entrance. He quickly turned to face away from it, looking flustered.

“Oh, Chanyeol, I… wasn’t expecting you to come in.”

“I just came in to look for some blankets,” Chanyeol explained. “Is… everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine,” the smaller boy said, voice betraying his words.

“Baekhyun…”

The small boy deflated a bit. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snoop. I just saw a ring on the dresser and I just wanted a closer look.”

Chanyeol let out a breath through his nose, walking to the dresser as Baekhyun stepped back to give him access. The tall boy picked up the ring, holding it up for the smaller to see.

“So what’re your thoughts?” Chanyeol asked. “You have to be honest.”

“It’s uh… really unique.”

“You think it’s ugly, don’t you?”

“Well…” Baekhyun began. “Yeah, it’s a little ugly.”

Chanyeol let out a chuckle. “Thank god I’m not the only one.”

“Why do you own a ring that you think looks ugly?” Baekhyun asked, before quickly adding, “If you don’t mind me asking, at least.”

“Well, _she_ liked the look of them. I told her it was an eyesore, but she just looked so happy that I couldn’t say no.”

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Chanyeol said, putting the ring back down on the dresser and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “It’s all in the past now anyways.”

“But you still have it.”

“So?”

“I might be overstepping my bounds here, but is it really all in the past?” Baekhyun asked, tentatively sitting on the bed next to Chanyeol.

The tall boy feels the familiar sensation of sadness overtake him for a moment, but tries to dismiss the feeling. He lets out a sigh, too tired to keep holding back.

“It’s easy to forget about her when I’m preoccupied,” he admits quietly. “When we’re all hanging out, I think I’m okay and I think I’m over it, but when I go home I realize that I’m not as okay as I thought I was.”

Baekhyun reaches over to hold the tall boy’s hand as he speaks in a silent show of support, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand in a comforting motion.

“It’s been over half a year now, I should be over it. I don’t know why I’m not over it.”

“You can’t control how long you hurt for, Chanyeol. There also isn’t a time limit for how long you’re allowed to feel sad about things. If you need over half a year to work through things, then you need over half a year to work through things.”

Chanyeol felt something prick at the back of his eyes, but he tried his hardest to keep it in.

“I know I told you this when we first met, but if it’s worth anything, I really do think she missed out on a lot. You’re a really great person, Chanyeol. If she couldn’t recognize that, I just hope the next person will.”

“Thanks,” Chanyeol said with a small smile. “I haven’t really gotten to talk about things with anyone so I really appreciate you listening.”

“I appreciate that you felt comfortable enough to tell me. Sorry if it felt like I was prying.“

“I don’t think I would’ve talked about it if I hadn’t gotten that push.”

“If you wanna talk about anything else, you know I’m here, right?”

Chanyeol nodded. “I’m here if you need anything too, alright?”

“You’ll be the first person I call. Now come on, it’s getting late. We should probably head to bed.”

The tall boy smiled, standing to his feet and opening the door to his closet, pulling out a small stack of blankets and handing it to the other boy.

“The bed is already made, just take these out with you.”

“Sounds good. Goodnight, then.”

“Goodnight.”

~~~~~

When Chanyeol wakes up the next day, he feels a little lighter than he had last night. The sun shines brightly through the sheer curtains, Chanyeol squinting as his eyes slowly adjusted to the light. He takes his time getting ready, washing his face and brushing his teeth in silence as he thought about his conversation with Baekhyun the night before.

The thought stayed with him as he left the bathroom, making careful work of opening his bedroom door, so as to avoid waking the boy sleeping on the couch. Though at this point, the time was just slightly past one o’clock, the boy was still sound asleep, blanket half off his body as he lay contorted in strange angles.

Chanyeol let out an airy chuckle to himself, half considering adjusting the boy before deciding against it, lest he accidentally wake him.

As the tall boy begins making breakfast, he can hear Baekhyun’s soft groans, first infrequent, and soon constant, until the boy is sitting up, hair messy and eyes barely open. By the time Chanyeol finishes cooking, Baekhyun has gotten ready, sitting quietly at the kitchen table as the taller sets down their plates.

They eat in comfortable silence, Baekhyun aimlessly scrolling through his phone as Chanyeol pokes at his plate, mulling over some things in his head.

By the time they leave the apartment, it’s almost 3:30. The drive to Baekhyun’s apartment is quick, and the small boy makes quick work of running up to his unit to get a fresh set of clothes and a backpack of things he needed for the day.

They arrive at the riverbank not long after, parking in a lot nearby before making their way to a small patch of grass that no one else had claimed. They laid out a lightweight tarp from Baekhyun’s bag, putting out what they had brought as they waited for their friends to arrive.

The evening air was warm, and as their friends began to arrive, it only grew warmer. They laughed as they shared food alongside the slowly setting sun, laid out on the tarp comfortably as the breeze blew by gently.

In the gentle glow of the sun, Chanyeol found it hard to keep his eyes away from the boy sitting across from him, smiling brightly and laughing boisterously, like he didn’t care who heard him. His eyes sparkle, his skin glows, and he’s just so… warm.

Chanyeol begins to question when Baekhyun ever became so bright, but he knew in himself that Baekhyun was always like this.

Baekhyun was just being Baekhyun, and he shone brighter than the sun.

He can feel his heart inexplicably pick up when Baekhyun caught his gaze and gave him a small smile, something meant just for him. His cheeks reddened slightly, but with the sun on its descent, it was hard to notice. Not that Chanyeol could’ve found it in him to care at that moment anyways.

He returns the smile, almost entranced by everything that is Byun Baekhyun. He feels warm. He seems to feel a lot warmer nowadays.

He’s not sure why he does.

He just knows that he never wants it to stop.


	8. August

As the days grew hotter, Chanyeol found himself increasingly lost in thought. In this space of time, he finds it difficult to find the motivation to leave his apartment. He finds himself waking up later and later every morning, until his ‘morning’ begins at 3pm. By the time he finds the energy to have breakfast, it’s early evening, and by the time he finds room in his stomach for dinner, it’s nearing midnight.

It’s a rut he can’t find himself getting out of.

Things were great after the picnic with his friends, but when he made it home that night, something just felt… off.

He couldn’t quite place it, but there was almost a sinking feeling in his chest, from the moment he laid in bed to the moment he opened his eyes the next morning.

Since then, he’s had some trouble falling asleep at night. He hadn’t been stressed about anything in particular, and nothing bad had happened to him since to warrant this feeling. This fact somehow seemed to stress him out even more.

A few of these nights, he found himself wandering up to the roof of his building, staring up at the stars until the sky started to brighten. The action would bring him some peace, but never enough to put him to sleep at night.

Other nights, he would take a drive around the city, get out as far as he could in hopes that the trip would clear his mind.

Nothing ever seemed to work though.

He sighed as he waited for the light to turn green, the incessant ticking of his turn signal filling the silence of his car. He had only passed a few other cars on his trip so far, windows rolled down halfway to let in their sound as they passed by him.

The nights had been getting cooler as of late, and Chanyeol let out a breath as a light breeze blew into the car, cooling his cheeks. He absently watched as the streetlights would illuminate the interior of his car for a few seconds at a time, shadows stretching out as the light would dim, shrouding the car back in darkness until the next streetlight.

He could see the side road he used to frequent so long ago, grimacing as he drove past it, not wanting to bother reliving bittered memories.

Yet Chanyeol still finds himself driving circles to pass by the opening to the side road, a piece of him wanting so badly to go back, another knowing it would do nothing but hurt him.

After a few more circles, he hangs his head, driving back to his apartment almost in defeat. He makes a turn onto the road, a small smile forming on his face as he passed by Baekhyun’s apartment complex. The memory of Baekhyun scurrying into the building on the evening of the picnic replays in the tall boy’s head, and he lets out a small laugh at the image.

He passes by the convenience store and remembers bumping into Baekhyun on Valentine’s day, the smaller boy with chocolates in his arms and a surprised look on his face.

Chanyeol smiles as he slows the car, easing it into the entrance of his building’s underground parking. He finds his spot and pulls the car in, letting out a breath as he leaned his head into the headrest.

For a brief moment, the sinking in his heart subsides.

~~~~~

When he checks his phone the next evening, he’s greeted by an unexpected text.

Byun Baekhyun  
 _hey  
_ _do you have some time to talk?_

Chanyeol’s thumb hovered over the home button, unsure of what to do for a moment, before opening the message.

Park Chanyeol  
 _yeah  
_ _what’s up?_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _bad day today  
_ _can i call you?_

Chanyeol let out a breath, twiddling his thumbs over the keyboard. He started typing, only to delete what he had wrote, typing more and deleting more, typing more and deleting more. He could feel his heartrate pick up a bit, trying to find the right words. After a few moments, he closed his eyes, leaning back on the couch before settling on something to say.

Park Chanyeol  
 _are you home now?_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _yeah_

Park Chanyeol  
 _do you wanna go on a drive instead?_

The tall boy locks his phone, holding it up to his chin, feeling more nervous than he thought he would waiting for a response. It feels like ages before his phone buzzes with a response, and when he sees the reply, a small smile creeps onto his face.

He slides his phone into his back pocket before entering his bedroom, pulling a sweater over his head and grabbing his wallet and car keys off his dresser.

It takes a few minutes for Chanyeol to arrive at Baekhyun’s building, tapping a rhythm on his steering wheel as he waited for the smaller boy to come downstairs. He let out a small amused exhale when he saw the boy leaving the building, quickly waddling over to the car, engulfed in a hoodie.

Baekhyun gave the tall boy a smile as he climbed into the car, buckling up his seatbelt.

“Hey,” Baekhyun breathed.

“Hey,” Chanyeol responded, shifting gears and pulling out onto the street. “How’ve you been?”

Baekhyun let out a discontented hum. “You go first.”

“Well… I haven’t been up to much lately. I’ve just been taking a lot of drives at night.”

“Huh. Why have you been taking so many drives?”

“I don’t know. It helps clear my head, I guess.”

“Got a lot of things on your mind lately?”

“I guess so,” Chanyeol said. “It’s really nothing important.”

“Where do you normally go on your drives?”

“Nowhere in particular. I normally just drive in circles around the block until I get tired. Is that something you’d be interested in doing tonight?”

“Doesn’t that seem like a waste of gas to you?” Baekhyun asked with a gentle laugh. “Wouldn’t it be better to find somewhere to park?”

“Wouldn’t that take the ‘drive’ part of ‘night drive’?”

“Then maybe we should do a night park.”

“Are you trying to hit on me?”

“What do you—” Baekhyun started before letting out an incredulous laugh. “You’re the worst. Even _if_ I was trying to hit on you, what would ‘doing a night park’ even mean?”

“I don’t know, but it sounds like a euphemism to me. Something like doing me at night, or whatever. Since I’m a Park.”

“Have these night drives been rotting your brain?” Baekhyun asked with another laugh. “I swear you made a lot more sense the last time I saw you.”

“You say that like I’ve ever made sense,” Chanyeol said, stopping at a red light, turning his head to Baekhyun. “But before we get too off topic— where would you suggest we do this night-park?”

“Do you have anywhere in mind? I can’t think of anywhere to go.”

Chanyeol pursed his lips, debating for a moment whether or not to suggest the place he had in mind. Baekhyun looked at him expectantly, brows raised slightly with a slight smile on his mouth. His features looked soft in the dim glow of the car interior, his appearance so gentle. Chanyeol swallowed and turned his head back to the road.

“I know somewhere we could go.”

“Then drive away, Park.”

The rest of the drive was quiet and mindless. The path was familiar enough for Chanyeol to not have to think about, even after almost a year of not driving it. Baekhyun looked out the window as they drove, watching the scenery pass by.

Chanyeol makes the turn onto the side road, a part of him feeling strange for bringing someone new down the path. It wasn’t totally secluded, but was relatively idle compared to the rest of the city. They continued down the road until they reached an overpass overlooking a highway, pulling over onto a patch of dirt just off the road. Chanyeol pulled the car into park, leaning back in his seat and unbuckling the seatbelt.

“This would be like, a great spot to murder someone,” Baekhyun said quietly. Chanyeol couldn’t stop the guffaw escaping his lips. Baekhyun sat up. “Am I wrong? It’s so quiet here! You could murder me right here and now!”

“Well, lucky for you I’m not fond of murder.”

Baekhyun smiled as he slipped his shoes off, folding his knees to his chest.

“So how’d you find this place?”

The tall boy tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “I used to come here with my ex, back when we first started dating.”

The car was silent for a moment.

“I’m sorry, did I just make things weird? We only came a few times back then, just to talk when we couldn’t sleep. I haven’t come around for a while. With her, or otherwise.”

“Don’t be sorry, I’m the one that asked. Is there a reason you guys stopped coming?”

“I don’t really know. I’ve always liked it here, but we just… stopped going one day.”

“Is there a reason you haven’t come back on your own?”

“It feels a little weird. I feel like if I did, I’d just be sitting here thinking about where things went wrong with us, and that just doesn’t feel very productive.”

“So why tonight?”

“I don’t know that either. Maybe it’s just because it’s familiar. Plus, it’s nice to just talk and not worry about anyone else hearing you. I always found it a little easier to open up here.”

The car went silent again before Chanyeol turned to face Baekhyun.

“So what’s been on your mind today? If you’re ready to talk about it, at least.”

Baekhyun fiddled with the sleeves of his sweater, avoiding eye contact. 

“Well, it feels stupid now that we’re here.”

“I didn’t ask if it was stupid, Byun, I asked what was going on up there,” Chanyeol said, tone light. “So what’s up?”

The small boy kept staring down at his hands. “I was grocery shopping today. There’s this supermarket that I really like that’s a few subway stops down. It’s out of my way but it’s bigger and has a bigger selection of food. It just feels fancier so I feel fancier when I shop there. I’ve been a lot lazier about cooking nowadays so I just wanted to go and buy some ready-to-eat meals and maybe some frozen food and go home and just watch T.V. for a bit.

“So I go to the supermarket and I go to the freezer aisle and I see him— the guy I dated in high school. He hadn’t changed much since I last saw him, still wearing the same sweater and jeans combo he always used to wear,” Baekhyun said with a bitter chuckle.

“I felt like I couldn’t move. I wanted to leave before he saw me, but he never did. He just kept looking through the frozen foods like he was inspecting them for something. I don’t know how long I spent just watching him, but then I saw this guy walk up to him. He was cute. Dressed well and everything.

“He stood next to my ex and started talking to him, and my ex just… well, he put the food down and put his hand around this guy’s waist. Gave him a kiss on his cheeks and smiled wider than I’d seen him smile. Every time that guy said anything, it looked like my ex was drowning in adoration.

“I don’t know. My eyes started burning and I just had to get out there. I didn’t even end up buying what I needed to. God, it was so stupid. It’s been _years_ since we’ve been together, but I see him in a supermarket _once_ and I feel like my world’s falling apart.”

Baekhyun tiled his head back against the headrest, letting out a sigh and blinking rapidly.

“I just couldn’t stop myself from thinking about what I saw. I kept asking myself if he was always capable of being this loving and attentive. If the only reason he wasn’t like that when he was with me was because I wasn’t worth it.

“I know how stupid it is to think that. We dated back in _high school_. We were different people then, and we’re different people now. But when I saw him, I didn’t see a different person. I saw that same high schooler that I dated all those years back. I saw the person who wouldn’t give me the time of day no matter how many times he told me loved me.

“But I couldn’t stop myself. I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore.”

Baekhyun straightened his head, quickly wiping tears from his eyes. “I’m sorry, I know that was probably a lot more than you were anticipating.”

Chanyeol furrowed his brow, letting out a soft breath. “Baekhyun… you know you deserve a lot more than how that guy treated you, right?”

Baekhyun looked back down at his hands silently.

“I’m sorry that he didn’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated. And I’m sorry that he ever made you feel like you weren’t worth being treated well.”

Chanyeol could feel his heartbeat pick up a bit, loud enough to ring in his ears as he spoke.

“You’re a really amazing person. You’re kind, and sweet, and a really great listener. You’re funny and you’re so incredibly… bright. I don’t know how to explain it. You light up every room you’re in, and I don’t know how you do it. It’s one thing if some dummy in high school couldn’t see or appreciate that, but if you don’t think you deserve absolutely everything great this world has to offer… then I don’t know what to tell you Baekhyun.”

Chanyeol could feel his face getting hotter as his heart started beating harder and harder. The smaller boy looked up from his hands, first looking out at the overpass before slowly looking over to Chanyeol.

The road didn’t have many streetlights, but whatever light shone into the car was just enough to make Baekhyun’s eyes sparkle a bit, pale skin almost glowing in the light. A look of doubt painted his features, but failed to make him look any less beautiful.

_Fuck._

“Sorry, I—” Chanyeol began, blinking and shaking his head as he collected himself. “What I’m trying to say is… I really hope you don’t let this guy make you feel like you deserve anything less than the best. You’re worth a lot more than you might think you are.”

“Is it okay if we stay here a little longer?” Baekhyun asked softly.

“We can stay here as long as you want to.”

“Okay,” Baekhyun said. Without a word, the small boy slowly reached over to the driver’s side, finding Chanyeol’s arm and running his hand down it. His fingers skittered down to Chanyeol’s wrist, hesitating a moment as if asking for permission. The tall boy opened up his palm in invitation, and the small boy didn’t hesitate to interlock their fingers.

By now, Chanyeol’s heart was beating out of his chest, face flushed red as he kept his eyes trained straight ahead, too afraid to look Baekhyun in the eyes.

The words had flown out of him before he could really control it, but he had never meant anything more than he did in that moment.

Baekhyun was one of the most vibrant and compassionate people Chanyeol has ever known.

And here he was.

Sitting in the passenger seat of his car.

Holding hands with him.

Park Chanyeol didn’t know a great many things. But what he knew in that moment was that he his heart was racing like it hadn’t in a long time.

And Byun Baekhyun was the reason for it.


	9. September

September 23rd 2020

As classes pick up and school starts again, Chanyeol picks himself up out of his rut. After making it home from night drive with Baekhyun, he had the most restful sleep he had all month. He woke up earlier and earlier until he felt like a half functional human being, eating breakfast in the mornings and dinners in the evenings again.

He couldn’t explain why— it was like a switch had been flicked in his head, and all of a sudden, things were starting to feel okay again.

Of course, this wasn’t without his own effort, but it’s as if that night helped him leap over a hurdle he couldn’t himself.

He’s not entirely sure why or how, but he’s grateful for it happening. Especially when he receives a text during class, from the very last person he expected to ever hear from again.

Seungwannie  
 _hi  
_ _i know it’s sudden but  
_ _would you have time to grab coffee tomorrow?_

Chanyeol’s finger froze over his laptop keyboard, lecture notes forgotten as his heart sinks into the floor. He blinks a few times, not believing what he was seeing, but the notification refused to disappear.

He flips his phone face down on the table, trying to dismiss the thought long enough to focus on his lecture again. No matter how many times he tries to convince himself that he didn’t care, he couldn’t ignore the lump in his throat and his heart racing out of his chest.

He doesn’t address the text until he makes it back to his apartment, staring down his phone for what feels like hours. He sits on his couch, hands clasped to his lips as he stared down the message, as if it would resolve things.

It’s only until he’s in bed, almost ready to sleep that he opens the notification, fingers hovering over the keyboard, trying to think of the right thing to say.

It feels like hours before he’s able to hit send on his message.

Park Chanyeol

_my class ends at 1_

His heart races when the message is almost immediately read, a text bubble appearing before he’s even able to process it.

Seungwannie

 _1:30, same place as usual?_

Park Chanyeol

_okay_

Seungwannie

_see you then_

~~~~~

Chanyeol gets little sleep that night. His eyelids don’t grow heavy until the sun is starting to rise, and by the time he’s able to drift off, it feels like he’s waking up again, getting ready to go to his lecture.

He’s barely able to focus on his lecture, taking half-hearted notes as his mind drifts to his coffee plans after class. He has half a mind to cancel while there’s still time, but a part of him knows it would be better to go. To finally get closure.

At least, he convinces himself of this, just long enough to get him to the café he used to frequent, wringing his hands in anxiety as he peeked inside. He was a little early, and as he stood in front of the café, he felt the regret rise in him.

_What am I doing here?_ He asked himself. _Is this even worth it? I was doing fine without her. Why did I even—_

He took a sharp intake of air when he saw her, looking down at a cup of coffee, equally wringing her hands as she sat alone. She still looked as beautiful as the last time he saw her, milk chocolatey hair grown just a little past her shoulders. She was dressed simply in an oversized sweater and jeans, but she still looked as stunning as ever.

Even from outside the café, Chanyeol could almost _hear_ her overthinking as she stared mindlessly into her drink, hands almost red from her wringing them. He let out a breath, clenching his jaw as he pulled the door open, the girl jumping in her seat when the bell at the door jingled. He walked to her table, the girl sitting up a little straighter as she brought her coffee cup closer to her.

“I’m really sorry to call you out here so last minute,” she said quickly, “I got you a drink— it’s the same one you used to get all the time, though I don’t know if you still drink it, it’s been a long time since—”

“Seungwan,” Chanyeol said softly, “You’re rambling.”

She deflated a bit, Chanyeol taking the moment of silence to take a seat.

“Thank you for the drink,” he said, hands grasping the coffee tightly to stop them from shaking. “Lucky for you, I’m a man of simple tastes.”

Seungwan let out a soft chuckle, visibly relaxing a bit. “It’s been months and you still haven’t diversified your tastes?”

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, alright?”

“You haven’t changed,” she said fondly.

“I see you haven’t either. How’s music production been treating you?”

“Same as ever. Still a labour of love, emphasis on the labour part. How’s photography been?”

“I’m still paying tuition to take photos so there’s that,” he said, eliciting another laugh from Seungwan. “So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

She looked back down, staring at her hands. “Ah, well… I’ve actually been wanting to talk to you for a while now. I just couldn’t really work up the courage until now. I just… really wanted to apologize to you.”

There was a pause between them, prompting the girl to keep going.

“I’m sorry things ended so abruptly, and I’m sorry I handled things so poorly. You were my first serious relationship and I didn’t know what to do when I wanted to end things. There were probably better ways and better times to do things but, I don’t know. I was scared. I didn’t want to hurt you, but I guess that’s all I ended up doing, huh?

“Honestly, I had a lot of things going on in the few months leading up to the breakup. Things got really overwhelming for me and I didn’t know what else to do. I know it’s no excuse for how I ended things, but if I’m really being honest, it was the most relief I had felt in a while.

“You meant so much to me and I really did love you. I just realized I didn’t love you in that way. Not like I thought I did.”

“I understand,” Chanyeol said. “Thank you for telling me.”

“I really am sorry. If I could go back and change how I did things, I would.”

“I don’t doubt that, but you don’t need to beat yourself up over it. That won’t do either of us any good, now will it?”

Seungwan smiled. “You’ve always had the biggest heart, you know that Chanyeol? Always so kind and considerate of others. It’s one of the reasons I fell for you in the first place.”

Chanyeol let out a scoff.

“I’m being serious!” Seungwan said, sitting up with a smile. “I remember seeing you around campus first year and you were always so kind to the people around you. It was really sweet. You were always like that to me when we dated too.

I really am sorry about everything. It’s okay if you don’t want to talk to me again after this, but I just wanted to let you know. I’m sure your life is going fine without me in it, anyways.”

“I’ve been managing,” Chanyeol said. “It helps a lot to have people I care about.”

She smiled. “I’m happy to know you have them. Even though we’re not like that anymore, I want you to know I’m still someone who cares a lot about you.”

Chanyeol paused for a moment, expecting something, _anything_ to hit him in his stomach, but nothing comes but warmth. “I care a lot about you too. And if it’s worth anything, I would really like to try being friends again.”

Seungwan looked at Chanyeol with pleasant surprise, leaning forward a bit more in her chair. “Really?”

“Even if we weren’t meant to be a couple, I think we still made pretty good friends. Maybe we could start meeting up for coffee more often, catch up on what we missed the past few months.”

“I would really like that.”

“Well, there’s no time to start like the present. What’s been going on with you?”

Seungwan perked up, eyes sparkling in excitement. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while, but I never really got the courage to message you about it… Do you remember last summer when I said it was my dream to become a singer?”

“And you’d always get performance anxiety whenever you went out for an audition?”  
  
“Yeah! You always gave me so much support and honestly, it helped me a lot during that process. A few months back, I honestly don’t know what got into me, but I went to this café that does open mic nights, and I just… I signed up.”

“You did?” Chanyeol asked, smile on his face.

“I did! I honestly don’t think I’ve ever sweat that much in my life, it was getting hard to even hold my guitar. But I went up there, in front of a full house, and I just… _sang_. It was exhilarating. It felt like the longest and shortest three minutes of my life, but once I finished my song, all I knew was that I wanted to sing another one. And another one, and another one, and another one. I started going every week, and I made friends with some of the other performers, and the people who worked at the café too.”

“I’m really proud of you,” the taller said, beaming. “I wish I could’ve been there to see it. Are you still performing there?”

“I am! I can give you the address if you’d like to come, it would really mean a lot if you could be there.”

“Just let me know, and I’m there.”

Seungwan smiled, finger circling the rim of her coffee cup. “What about you? What’s been new with you?”

Chanyeol hummed, thrumming his fingers against the table. “Honestly, not much. I’ve been spending a lot of time with friends, taking drives, and just doing schoolwork. Not very eventful in my neck of the woods.”

“Boo.”

“Boo what?”

“I’m sure _something_ else has happened! It’s been over half a year! Did you go on any trips, try anything new, meet any new people?”

Chanyeol paused at that, contemplating whether or not to speak to that.

“Your silence is very telling.”

“I don’t know,” Chanyeol said, staring down at his drink. “I guess I met someone?”

Seungwan leaned in closer. “You _guess?”_

“Like, we’re not dating or anything.”

“But you wanna be?”

“I didn’t say that—”

“Do you have a crush on them?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Come on Chanyeol, tell me more!” Seungwan said through a laugh. “It’s been 9 months, I’m gonna be nosy if you’re crushing on someone!”

“It’s uh… So he’s in our year. In journalism. Byun Baekhyun?”

“You have a crush on Baekhyun? He’s so cute! Does he even know you exist?” she asked jokingly.

“For your information, we’re actually pretty close. I met him earlier this year and we kinda… clicked. I just don’t know if I’d call it a crush.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know… I’ve never really… Liked guys in the past? Maybe I don’t like him that way and these feelings are just misplaced.”

“What do you feel when you’re with him?”

“He just makes me feel really warm. He’s really easy to talk to and I always feel safe talking to him. It’s been really nice, but I don’t know if that constitutes as having a crush on him.”

Seungwan leaned back, taking a sip of her drink. “I don’t know if it does, but it’s clear that you do have strong feelings for him.”

“How do you know?”  
  
“It’s this,” she said, gesturing at him, “You visibly changed when you started talking about him. You still have that dumb smile on your face.”

Chanyeol drops the smile, conscious of his expression. “Even if it is a crush, how am I gonna talk to him about it? The first thing I told him was that I’m straight. Won’t it be weird if I tell him that I like him out of the blue?”

“Chanyeol, your sexuality is _your_ business. It’s not something you need to have figured out at any given moment, and even if it is something you figure out, it’s not something you need to explain to other people. If you like Baekhyun, you like Baekhyun. End of story. It doesn’t matter what label you give yourself. Hell, you don’t even _need_ to label yourself. Just do whatever feels right, okay?”

The taller boy relaxed a bit. “Okay. You’re right. Thank you.”

“I hope things work out well for you two, no matter how you choose to handle it.”

“I hope so too.”

Seungwan gave her phone a quick glance, pouting and scrunching her nose at the sight. “I gotta head out soon. I’ll text you the café address, I play every Thursday.”

“I look forward to hearing you live.”

“Thanks again for coming today Chanyeol. You really didn’t need to, and I really appreciate that you did. I really did miss you.”

Chanyeol smiled. “I missed you too. I’ll see you around then?”

“See you around.” 


	10. October

October 31st 2020

As the weather gets cooler and the leaves start to change colours, Chanyeol finds himself in a crowded café, small coffee in hand as he waited for the open mic night to start. The café was filling up slowly but surely, leaving Chanyeol feeling awkward for having taken up a whole table all by himself.

He came much earlier than he needed to, but he attributed that much to just being excited to see Seungwan perform. Perhaps he had underestimated the popularity of the café’s open mic night. He stared down at his phone, too awkward to make eye contact with the patrons filing in through the doors, some resorting to standing or sharing chairs with friends to fit.

Chanyeol jumped in his seat when he felt a tap on his shoulder, looking up to see a girl in the café apron staring down at him.

“Is anyone sitting here?” she asked, pointing at the chair next to Chanyeol with his bag on it. The giant quickly removed it, giving the girl a nod to sit down.

“It’s a busy night tonight, huh?” she asked, giving the café a once-over.

“Uh, yeah, I guess so. Is it usually this crowded?” Chanyeol asked.

“Depends on who’s playing that day. My girlfriend usually comes by on Thursdays, and she’s pretty popular with the regulars. We see a whole lot of new faces too, though. I guess word travels.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“I’m Seulgi,” the girl said, holding out a hand.

“Chanyeol,” the giant replied, shaking her hand.

“You seem familiar. Do you go to the university near here?”

“Yeah, I do. Third year photography major. Do you go there too?”

Seulgi nodded. “Second year dance performance major. Small world, huh? Are you here to see someone perform?”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol said, rubbing the nape of his neck. “My… friend. Her name is Seungwan? She told me she plays here pretty regularly.”

A smile played on Seulgi’s lips, but before she could say anything else, someone tapped on the mic, getting the attention of the crowd, effectively silencing their noise to a whisper.

The open mic night went on just about the way Chanyeol would’ve expected, dragging on a little more than he would’ve liked, but still being satisfactory for keeping him entertained. Seungwan’s act was one of the last, and by the time she had made it up on the stage, it was clear that a number of the patrons were just there for her.

People slouching back suddenly perked up in their seats, giving her a louder applause as she sat on the stool, smile on her face and guitar resting on her lap. She adjusted the mic to her height, making quick eye contact with Chanyeol as she did so, smile widening a bit as she nodded her head in acknowledgement.

Chanyeol had always known that Seungwan was an amazing singer— that much was never a secret, but when she started singing on that stage, it was clear something had changed.

When she used to sing to him, she’d bow her head down as if she was afraid to be seen, but now, she sat up straight, looking out over the audience, basking in it. Her voice was clear and confident, sending goosebumps down his arms.

A look across the audience told the giant he wasn’t alone in the feeling.

Most of the audience had their gazed fixed towards her as she captivated their attention, looking like they couldn’t even spare a glance away in fear that they would miss a moment of her performance.

He felt a strange sense of pride in that moment. She had spent so many years too afraid to sing in front of other people, but now she sat under the soft spotlight of this café and she shone in a way she never had before.

As quick as the performance started, it was over, the girl standing to bow with her guitar as the café patrons drowned her in applause. She quickly hurried off the stage, making a quick beeline to Chanyeol’s table to say hello.

“You did amazing!” Chanyeol half-whispered as the next singer took their place on the stool.

“I’m really happy you made it tonight, Chanyeol,” she said with a smile. Seulgi stood from her seat, offering the chair to Seungwan who took it with a quick nod.

“Have you met Seulgi already?” Seungwan asked as she took the guitar strap off from around her body.

“I thought he seemed familiar,” Seulgi said, arm resting around Seungwan’s shoulders. “He’s your ex, yeah?”

Seungwan nodded. “Sorry I couldn’t introduce you two myself, I didn’t expect prepping to take so long.”

“Well if it’s any consolation, it was well worth it. You did amazing tonight,” Seulgi said, leaning down to give Seungwan a peck on the head. “I gotta head back to work, but if you need any refills or anything, they’re on me alright?”

Seulgi gave Seungwan another peck on the cheek before waving goodbye to the two, taking her leave and disappearing into the crowd.

“Ah,” Chanyeol said. “Are you guys—”

“Yeah,” Seungwan said with a smile. “We met through the open mic night. She would always talk to me before performing and it really helped my nerves. We ended up having a class together this semester, and things just kinda fell into place from there. We’ve been together for about 3 months now.”

“I’m really happy for you,” Chanyeol said whole-heartedly.

“Thanks,” she said bashfully. “She’s really amazing. I’d love to have you meet her again if the chance ever comes up. If you’d be alright with it, that is.”

“I’d love that.”

“Maybe it could be a double date, depending on how far you get with Baekhyun,” she said with a laugh.

Chanyeol smiles. “If things work out right, I think that would be nice.”

Seungwan’s smile mirrors the giants. “Have you figured out how you feel about him?”

“I’ve been doing some thinking on it. I think I’d like to ask him out, but I’m still not sure yet. What do you think?”

“I think you should go for it! He seems to make you really happy, Chanyeol.”

“But what if he doesn’t feel the same way towards me?”

“That doesn’t mean that you can’t still be friends. I don’t know Baekhyun too well, but I doubt he would let that jeopardize your friendship.”

Chanyeol hummed, taking a quiet sip of his lukewarm drink. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Whether you go for it or not, you have my full support, Chanyeol. But if the two of you end up getting married, I expect an invitation!”

The giant chuckled. “Thanks, Seungwan.”

~~~~~

The next time Chanyeol and Baekhyun hang out together, the giant tries his very best to not overthink things. They eat dinner, they talk, and they laugh just as they normally would, but the question weighs down on Chanyeol’s mind as they spend their time together, up until they walk up to the convenience store between their apartments.

“I guess I should be heading home now,” Baekhyun said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I’ll see you next time, then?”

“Uh, actually, before you go,” Chanyeol began, his heart racing until it’s all he can hear in his ears. “There’s something I wanna talk to you about.”

“Yeah, sure, what’s up?”

He swallows hard, trying to wipe the sweat off his hands. “I honestly don’t know how else to say it but… I really like you Baekhyun.”

“And I really like you Chanyeol.”

“No, I mean… I like you as more than a friend.”

Baekhyun looked up at Chanyeol, almost searching his eyes for something, but didn’t say anything.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I just wanted to tell you. And if you’d be okay with it, I’d really like to go out with you. Like, on a proper date.”

Baekhyun bit his lip, still staying silent.

“You don’t need to respond now,” Chanyeol said quickly, trying to relieve the tension to little avail. “You can take your time to think it through. It’s also okay if you just want to stay friends. I just… wanted to put it out there.”

Baekhyun nods slowly, still silent.

“I’ll uh… leave it there then. I’ll see you around then?”

“Yeah. See you around.”

Chanyeol turns quickly on his heel, heading back to his apartment, face feeling red hot. He quietly berated himself for the awkward encounter, but he couldn’t deny the weight being lifted off his shoulders after getting it out.

He just hopes he didn’t mess things up.

~~~~~

Though he had told Baekhyun to take his time with his answer, it had been two weeks of stereo silence from the smaller boy, and Chanyeol was starting to worry. He was constantly checking his phone for some kind of communication, but always found nothing whenever he unlocked his device.

He tried getting his mind off of things, though that only worked for a fraction of the time. It was only as Chanyeol to Jongdae’s apartment early in the day to help him set up for a party he was throwing later in the evening that he managed to get his mind somewhere else.

The peace of mind was short-lived however, as Chanyeol’s phone lit up as he pinned up tacky Halloween decorations to the wall. He spared the device a quick glance, heart dropping when he saw who had messaged him.

Byun Baekhyun  
 _hey  
_ _are you going to jongdae’s Halloween party tonight?_

The message itself already gave the giant heart palpitations, hands itching to ask Baekhyun for something more, but he resisted the urge.

Park Chanyeol  
 _yeah, i’m helping him set up now  
_ _are you coming?_

Byun Baekhyun  
 _yeah  
_ _i’ll see you tonight then?_

Park Chanyeol  
 _yeah i’ll see you then_

~~~~~

By the time the sun had set and the party was in full swing, Chanyeol still saw no sight of Baekhyun. He checked his phone constantly, waiting for some evidence that the boy had arrived, only to be greeted by a blank lock screen every time he looked.

He was seated on the couch, staring down at the phone between his hands when he felt a tap on his shoulder, jumping a little at the sensation.

He turned his head around to see Jongdae, motioning him to follow. Chanyeol stood up to follow, trying hard not to bump into other people in the apartment until Jongdae brings him to the kitchen.

“Baek arrived a bit ago, said he couldn’t find you,” Jongdae said, pouring the two some water. “I told him to go to my room and wait for you.”

“He seemed weirdly nervous when I spoke to him,” Jongdae said, taking a sip of his water and he handed Chanyeol another cup. “I don’t know what’s up with him, but I hope things are going okay with you two.”

“I hope so too,” Chanyeol said, grip tightening on his cup. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“See you in a bit buddy,” he said, holding his cup of water up. “Cheers, dude.”

Chanyeol took a small sip of water, giving Jongdae one more nod before making his way to the boy’s bedroom, giving the door a few soft raps before it opened before him. The tall boy walked in as Baekhyun closed the door after him, taking a seat on the bed, patting the space next to him in invitation.

“I heard you were looking for me?” Chanyeol said, throat already feeling dry.

“Yeah. Sorry I didn’t get to contacting you earlier. I was just a little startled when you told me.”

“Look, Baekhyun, it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, you don’t need to feel awkward about telling me—”

“It’s not that. I just… I like you too, Chanyeol. A lot.”

“But not in that way?”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Just let me finish, dummy. I like you too, but I just figured this whole thing was one-sided. You were fresh out of a breakup and I was afraid if I said anything I might either ruin our friendship or become a rebound, so I thought it was just safer to keep my mouth shut.

“I honestly hadn’t thought about dating again after my last relationship, so I wrote it off as puppy love and tried to wait it out and hope it would go away eventually. When you told me you liked me too, I didn’t know what to do. I clearly had some unresolved feelings over my ex, and I don’t want to hurt you because of that.

“I don’t know what came over me but I spoke with him a few days after you told me. We had a long talk, but we cleared the air and everything, and I started feeling a lot better. I don’t think we’ll ever be friends again, but it started making me question if I was ready for another relationship. And honestly, I’m not entirely sure where I’m at now, but I do know that I really like you.”

“So… what does that mean for us?”

“It means I’d really like to go out with you Chanyeol, but I also need some time to sort out what’s going on in my head. I don’t want to have to ask you to wait for me—”

“I’ll wait. For as long as you need, I’ll wait.”

Baekhyun gave him a gentle smile, putting his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Chanyeol.”


	11. November

November 27th2020

Things don’t change much after Halloween.

They go about their business, spending time together when they can, getting through the rest of the semester as best as they can.

They try to meet up at least once a week, whether that be to take a small stroll around the park, or to get takeout and hang out at one of their apartments.

Progress is slow, so slow to the point where Chanyeol sometimes forgets that his feelings are reciprocated, but as they walk back to his apartment after a quick trip to the grocery store, he can feel Baekhyun’s hand snake its way into his and he can feel his heart start pounding.

They don’t let go until they’re at Chanyeol’s front door so the giant can unlock it, his cheeks still red by the time they’re inside.

He looks over at Baekhyun, already in the kitchen putting away the groceries, as if he wasn’t actively trying to make Chanyeol’s heart beat out of his chest. The giant let out a sigh before locking the door and kicking off his own shoes and following the smaller inside.

“What’s with the sigh, Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asked, a smile playing on his lips. “Never had your hand held before?”

Chanyeol gets red again. “I-It’s not that!” he sputters.

“Then what is it?” Baekhyun continued playfully, grabbing the rice cooker out of the cupboard.

“Y-You… You can’t just do that!”

“Why not? I’ve held your hand before.”

“But… it’s different now.”

“Hmm? Care to explain why?” Baekhyun asked, closing the distance between the two of them.

“You know why!”

“Maybe I just need a refresher?”

“Because you know I like you!”

“And you know I like you too. So what’s the problem Yeol?”

Chanyeol blinked, heart beating a little quicker as Baekhyun put his hands on the taller’s chest.

“I… Well, you—”

Baekhyun let out an amused breath, angling his head up to give Chanyeol a peck on the cheek.

“B-Baekhyun!” Chanyeol nearly yelled.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really hungry and I’d really like to make dinner. If you don’t want your kitchen set on fire, I’d recommend you not leave me to do all the work.”

Baekhyun goes back to the kitchen, measuring out the rice and pouring it into the pot nonchalantly as if he hadn’t just kissed Chanyeol. It takes the giant a minute to process it, face getting ever redder until he can finally get himself to move.

He shuffles to Baekhyun, washing rice at the sink, wrapping his arms around the small boy’s midsection and burying his face into his shoulder.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Chanyeol said, voice muffled.

“It’s almost like I… like you or something. Weird, huh?”  
  


“You know what I mean. You said you needed more time.”

“And I took more time. I’ve put off dealing with those feelings for too long. But I… uh… I started therapy a few weeks before Halloween and It’s been helping a lot.”

“I’m really proud of you,” Chanyeol said, tightening his hold.

“Shut up. All I’m trying to say is… I think I’m ready.”

Chanyeol lifted his head up from Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“Don’t give me that look,” Baekhyun said, wriggling out of Chanyeol’s hold to start cooking the rice.

“Does that mean you want to… you know?”  
  


“To what?”

“Like… you know…”

Baekhyun laughed. “You’re a grown man but you’re afraid of saying ‘date’?”

Chanyeol looked down. Baekhyun rolled his eyes, starting the rice cooker and closing the distance between the two again.

“Yes, Chanyeol. That means I want to date. Do _you_ want to—”

“Yes. I want to do that.”

Baekhyun smiled. “Then that’s that.”

“Does that… make us…” Chanyeol said, trailing off.

“Boyfriends?” Baekhyun supplemented.

“Yes. That. Is that us?”

“Do you want to be my boyfriend?”

“… Yes. That would be nice.”

Baekhyun laughed. “And I think it would be nice if you were my boyfriend too. So…?”

“That’s that?”

“That’s that.”

~~~~~

The end of the month sneaks up on Chanyeol, and before he realizes it, it’s his birthday.

He had been too focused on schoolwork to even pay attention to it, too focused on getting his assignments in on time to plan anything for his birthday. It was only when he was awoken by incessant knocking on his door that he had remembered.

Groggy and dishevelled, he stumbled over to the door, peering through the peephole to see two people standing with their backs to the door. He furrowed his brow but opened the door nonetheless.

He opened his mouth to ask what they needed, but the moment the door swung open, the two turned around, holding a cake and wishing him a happy birthday.

He blinked a few times as he processed what was happening.

“Oh shit,” he said.

“’Oh shit’ is right!” Jongdae yelled. “Happy birthday you senior citizen!”

“You’re ancient now!” Baekhyun yelled.

“You’re both older than me.”

“Semantics!” Jongdae yelled, Chanyeol stepping back to let the two into his apartment. “You’re old now, so we need to celebrate!”

Chanyeol took the cake from the boy’s hands, bringing it to his dining table as the two took off their shoes and followed him inside. Baekhyun made quick work of grabbing plates and utensils from his cupboards as Jongdae placed candles in the cake.

“What are you now, like 83?” Jongdae asked, counting the candles in his hand.

“Shut the fuck up,” Chanyeol said as Jongdae let out a laugh.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Yeollie.”

“And I mean,” Baekhyun began as he placed the plates down. “I can promise you, you don’t look a day over 65.”

“How did you guys know that my birthday wish was to get bullied first thing in the morning?”

“Oh just shut up and make your wish,” Jongdae said as he lit the last of the candles. 

Chanyeol smiled, leaning in and blowing out the candles as the two clapped for him, Baekhyun making quick work of plucking out the candles before any wax could drip onto the cake. Chanyeol took the knife from the table, slicing into the cake and serving each of them a slice.

“Do you have any plans for the rest of your day?” Baekhyun asked as he took a bite.

“If I’m being honest, I was so focused on school that I forgot what day it was,” Chanyeol admitted. “So I haven’t made any plans.”

“For once, your lack of planning has worked to your benefit!” Jongdae exclaimed. “You’re stuck with Baekhyun for the rest of the day.”

“Are you not staying?” Chanyeol asked.

“Nah, I figured I’d let you two lovebirds spend your time together.”  
  


“Did… you tell him?” Chanyeol asked.

“No, I thought you did?” Baekhyun responded.

“Tell me what?” Jongdae asked as he took a bite of cake.

“That we’re…”

“Dating? Honestly it was bound to happen sooner or later,” Jongdae said as he finished the last of his cake, standing up to put the plate in the sink. “Plus the way you two were acting on Halloween gave it away. But hey, as long as you two are happy. I’ll get out of your hair for now, so you two have fun. Be safe tonight kids~”

“Okay dad,” Chanyeol said. “Thanks for stopping by with the cake. I do appreciate it.”

“Love you lots Yeollie,” Jongdae said, putting on his shoes. “You guys have fun tonight okay? And happy birthday, dude.”

~~~~~

After Jongdae left, Baekhyun made quick work of getting the dishes as Chanyeol left to get changed, still unsure of the plan for the rest of the day. He quickly brushed his teeth, throwing on whatever was clean as Baekhyun finished up, giving the giant another kiss on the cheek as they went to get their shoes on.

They walked hand-in-hand to the convenience store between their apartments, only letting go once they made it inside. They browsed the aisles, grabbing snacks, drinks, and packs of instant noodles until they had trouble carrying everything. As they put everything on the counter to pay, Baekhyun quickly gave the cashier a $50 note before Chanyeol could even take out his wallet.

“My treat, birthday boy,” Baekhyun said.

“You can’t fight me to pay for dinner,” Chanyeol said.

“I make no such agreement,” Baekhyun said, taking the bags of food and nodding to the cashier in thanks before walking out of the convenience store. “Now hurry up. It’s cold and I want to get home quick.”

~~~~~

It isn’t long until they make it back to Baekhyun’s apartment, Chanyeol taking the bags out of the smaller’s hands so he can make work of unlocking the door.

“Okay, give me the bags and wait out here for a second,” Baekhyun said, leaving the giant confused. “I promise it’ll be quick!”

Chanyeol hummed, leaning against the wall as Baekhyun closed the door behind him.

True to his word, the door opened again soon after, Baekhyun reappearing in his pajamas to take Chanyeol inside with him.

Since the two had started seeing each other more often, Chanyeol had spent more and more time in Baekhyun’s apartment, but what he was seeing now was far different from normal. The lighting was dim, but the giant blanket fort in the middle of Baekhyun’s apartment was evident. Chanyeol took his shoes off, Baekhyun leading him further into the apartment and into his bedroom.

“Go get changed,” he said, giving the giant a set of pajamas to wear, “Come into the blanket fort once you’re done.”

“What’s—”

“It’s a surprise! I’ll be waiting inside once you’re done.”

With that, he left Chanyeol to get changed, the tall boy making quick work of folding his clothes and putting on the pajamas. He approaches the fort slowly, pulling back one of the blankets to see inside.

The area between Baekhyun’s couch and his TV had been filled by an air mattress covered in blankets and pillows with his narrow coffee table now placed on the side, holding all of the snacks they had just purchased. The ceiling of the fort was lined with fairy lights, brightening up the space enough that the two could see around them.

“I know it’s been stressful for you lately, so I thought it might be nice to stay in for a bit and just watch movies and play games together for the night. What do you think?”

“It’s perfect,” Chanyeol said with a smile. “Thank you, Baekhyun.”

~~~~~

They spent the rest of their night like this, alternating between cuddling together watching movies and eating snacks and competing against each other on console games. The time passes quicker than either of them realize, and as it gets later, Baekhyun starts dozing off, head lolling forward despite his attempts to keep it upright.

Chanyeol smiles, grabbing the TV remote and turning it off before unplugging the lights around them. Baekhyun makes a sound, and Chanyeol stops in fear that he had awoken the boy, but he only shifts his body in a more comfortable position.

Chanyeol slowly gets up, picking up the empty bags around them and leaving the fort to throw them out. He smiled again looking at the fort the small boy had constructed for him, ducking back inside and getting comfortable on the bed.

He gets under the covers and makes sure Baekhyun is well covered as well before laying down next to them boy. His hands hesitate for a moment, but he wraps his arm around the boy’s waist, pulling him a little closer.

Baekhyun stirs, rasping out one last “Happy birthday, Yeol” before falling back asleep for the night. Chanyeol smiles against the nape of his neck, causing the small boy to whimper a bit. He holds the boy a little tighter.

He thinks it’s one of the best birthdays he’s ever had.


	12. December

December 31st 2020

The weather soon gets colder, the first snow falling a few days short of the first of December. The snow doesn't stop for a few weeks, blanketing the city in a coat of white.

As the semester came to a close, their schedules became far more lax. The days Chanyeol would spend studying for his exams and putting together final assignments could now be spent in peace with his boyfriend.

Despite living in different apartments, the two would spend a few nights a week at the other’s home, spending their evenings cooking together and watching films to pass the time. They had only officially been together for a number of weeks, but the pair settled into a routine quickly and comfortably.

This morning was no different from the ones they always enjoyed.

Of the two, Chanyeol was the early riser, always getting up without the need for an alarm clock. He squinted as the bright daylight spilled in through the blinds, turning his head towards Baekhyun, sprawled out on the bed with the sheets kicked off his body as usual. It took the tall boy a few moments of lying in bed before sitting up and stretching out his limbs, taking the discarded sheets and tucking the small boy back under them. A small sound came from the back of Baekhyun’s throat, Chanyeol letting out an amused breath as he slid on his slippers and hobbled to the bathroom.

These were the calmer moments of the day. He took his time getting ready, pulling his hair back with a clip as he waited for the tap water to get warm enough to wash his face. His mind wandered as he went through his routine, considering what he could make for breakfast, considering what to bring to Jongdae’s new year’s party, considering the gift he was planning on giving to Baekhyun.

_Is it too much to give?_ he thought to himself. _We’ve barely known each other for a year now, dated for even less. Hell, the last gift I gave him was a jar of jam. How well do I even really know him?_

Chanyeol jumps a bit when he feels something press against his back, relaxing when he feels a pair of arms wrap around his stomach.

“Good morning,” Chanyeol said with an amused chuckle.

“Morning,” Baekhyun responded, voice still raspy. “What time is it?”

“A little past 10. You can go back to bed for a bit if you’re still tired.”

Baekhyun shook his head against Chanyeol’s back. “Don’t want to,” he muttered. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Ah, you came to demand breakfast then?”

Baekhyun holds on a little tighter. “What good is a boyfriend if I can’t use him to cook for me?”

“Is that all I’m good for, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asked, feigning hurt.

“You’re also really good at cuddling.”

“Are those the only prerequisites to date you? Cooking and cuddling?”

“That’s pretty on the nose.”

Chanyeol turned to face Baekhyun, holding his cheeks in his hands. “Then that’s good enough for me. We have some leftover stew from last night I can reheat. I can get that started while you get ready.”

The giant gave Baekhyun a peck on the forehead as the smaller boy nodded, giving him one last hug before letting go.

Chanyeol made his way to the kitchen, making quick work of reheating their food as the smaller boy got through his own routine.

By the time Baekhyun had finished up in the bathroom, Chanyeol was just finishing up, the smaller boy taking the opportunity to set the table for them.

“What time should we be at Jongdae’s by?” Baekhyun asked as he took his seat.

“I think we should be fine so long as we make it before the countdown. I was thinking we could bring something on our way over since he’s hosting and all.”

“Knowing him, he should probably already be good on drinks.”

“We can swing by the supermarket and buy some snacks?”

“The big fancy one that’s—”

“A few stops down? Of course that one. It’s a new year’s party, we can show up with non-fancy snacks.”

Baekhyun smiled, giving Chanyeol a nod. “Before we head out though, can you do me a favour?”

“What’s up?”

“There’s a box over there in my bag,” Baekhyun said, nodding to his backpack against the couch. “Could you take it out for me?”

Chanyeol furrowed his brow but stood up nonetheless, rummaging through the backpack until he found a small wrapped box.

“Baekhyun—”

“Merry Christmas! Or, well, belated Christmas. Open it up!”

“You didn’t have to—”

“I wanted to! Now hurry up and open it before I die of old age.”

Chanyeol returned to the table, placing the box down before him as he took a seat. Baekhyun looked back at him expectantly as he peeled the gift wrap away to reveal a film camera and a hand-painted camera strap.   
  


“I figured it would be good for a photography student. I thought the change of pace might be nice. Digital is cool but there’s something about taking film photos. “

“Thank you, Baekhyun. I love it.”

“And…?”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “What, you want your gift now then?”

Baekhyun smiled a little wider. “It’s as good a time as any~”

“You’re so annoying,” Chanyeol said with a good natured laugh. “Give me a minute, alright?”

The tall boy stood up, walking back to his bedroom and pulling open the dresser. He dug his hand into his folded shirts until his hand hit something hard, grabbing the small box and taking it out. He had the foresight to gift wrap it, but the size of the box was already a dead giveaway. He let out a sigh to calm his nervous heart and stepped out into the dining room, placing the box in front of Baekhyun.

The small boy’s eyes widened a bit, tentatively reaching to the box. He peeled back the wrapping enough to feel the velvety exterior and his hand shrunk away in shyness.

“Chanyeol, we’ve been dating for a few weeks—”

“I know, I know. Just open it. I promise it’s nothing brash.”

Baekhyun continued unwrapping the box until the wrapping was gone, slowly opening it to find a thin band inside.

“It’s beautiful,” he breathed out.

“Do you want help putting it on?” Chanyeol asked, Baekhyun holding out his arm in response. The giant took the bracelet from the box, clipping it around the boy’s wrist.

“Did you think I was about to propose to you when I haven’t even known you a full year?” Chanyeol asked jokingly.

“You can’t blame me for being worried there!”

Chanyeol laughed, giving Baekhyun a peck on the back of his hand. “Maybe if you play your cards right, you’ll get the _distinct_ pleasure of being proposed to by me,” he joked. “Until then, this will have to do.”

Baekhyun smiled, giving the bracelet a closer look on his wrist. “Fearless,” he read aloud.

“I know we’ve both been in a weird place the past year or so. You taught me a lot about trusting in myself and confronting things that I really didn’t want to. Not only that, but you’ve been putting in so much effort to make things better for yourself, and I’m really proud of you for that. I just wanted you to have a physical reminder of that.”

“Thank you, Chanyeol. I love it.”

~~~~~

They don’t leave the apartment until long after the sun has set. They make their way to the supermarket, taking their time browsing through the aisles. The smaller enjoyed traipsing the large store, and Chanyeol was more than willing to follow Baekhyun around as he examined items on their shelves.

It’s only when the time slips between their fingers and their basket is filled to the brim with snacks that they decide to leave, cashing out and stuffing all that they can into Chanyeol’s backpack.

It doesn’t take them long to make it to Jongdae’s apartment, quickly buzzing in and making their way to his unit. It’s already bustling inside when they enter, Jongdae opening the door to greet them, helping them take the snacks off their hands as they slipped their shoes off.

Compared to the one the year prior, the party was far calmer, though that may just be Chanyeol’s heartbreak from last year making him feel that way. Chanyeol almost wanted to laugh. The stranger he had drunkenly kissed a year ago was now the boy standing next to him, the one holding his hand, the one that he loved.

Before he knows it, the time ticked towards midnight, sending the rest of the party into excitement as they got ready to count down.

They settled on the couch, hands still linked as the count down began. A warm feeling settled in Chanyeol’s chest, holding on a little tighter and pulling the boy a little closer. Baekhyun looks up at him as he does this with a smile.

Chanyeol really thinks he could spend a lifetime staring into the small boy’s eyes.

_10_

_9_

"Baekhyun?"

_8_

_7_

"Hmm?" the boy hummed.

_6_

_5_

"I love you."

_4_

_3_

Baekhyun looked a bit surprised for a moment, but smiled back at the giant. 

_2_

_1_

"I love you too," he said before leaning in to close the gap between them, capturing the tall boy’s lips in a kiss. It surprised the giant a bit, but it didn’t take long for him to kiss back, holding onto Baekhyun’s waist as the room exploded in cheers as they welcomed in the new year.

Chanyeol’s heart was still fluttering by the time they separated, cheeks feeling flushed.

"Wow."

"What?"

"That felt a lot better now that I’m not blackout drunk.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes with a smile, leaning back in to give Chanyeol another peck on the lips. “I’d be a little concerned if you were. You might end up kissing someone and end the year dating them instead.”

“Oh shut up.”

“I’m never gonna let that go, I hope you realize that.”

“You’re the worst, you know that?”

"Yeah, but you love me anyways so how bad can I really be?”

“The answer is very, but I can’t argue with you on that other part.”

Baekhyun smiled.

“Happy new year, Baek.”

“Happy new year, Yeol.”


End file.
